Mated
by bblair89
Summary: [Working title] The grumpiest of the Peltier men meets his match in a sweet human friend of Kara's named Sanna Andrews. Once they realize they're mates, it's time for Remi to come clean about his life. But if Remi thinks he's about to drop a few bombs on Sanna's life, just wait until her own life throws them some curve-balls that make his reveals look like child's play. Remi/OC
1. Chapter 1

There was something about her. He couldn't put his finger on it, but she was interesting. Not that he'd ever admit it. But he felt his anger- always so near to it's boiling point- rising as Trip and some of his brothers discussed her.

I could offer to distract her while she's waiting..." Trip laughed raucously, even as his eyes followed another set of girls.

"I don't think Kara would like that so much." Serre laughed, barely paying attention to the girl in that damnably obtuse way of a happily mated Were.

"What Kayray doesn't know won't hurt her." Kyle said, being the first to go over to the girl at her table. From what Remi had overheard, she was a friend of Kara's from high school that was back in town to visit family and have some job interviews. She was only 24 years old and like most were-hunters, she looked about late teens. The only strange part was that the girl wasn't were-hunter, she was  
human.

Kyle chatted with her for a while, but eventually came back to the bar alone, to Trip and Serre's amusement. "Poor cub, did you get rejected?" Serre teased.

"Screw you. She's definitely a focused little human. She's waiting for Kara and then she's going to her interview. It's like she didn't even realize I was flirting with her!" He shrugged in exasperation, and Remi ignored him as Alex and Duff came down the stairs. Duff was the first to spot the girl and nudged Alex, who looked over and grinned widely, loping to her table. Something made Remi stay and watch,and listen too, thanks to his Were hearing. Maybe the same unnameable thing that he couldn't pinpoint about her.

"Sanna banana! When'd you get back in town?" Alex greeted the girl enthusiastically, and unlike her lukewarm reception of Kyle, she threw her arms around Alex's neck and hugged him happily.

"God, you're never going to get over that nickname, are you? I'm back for a few interviews, so maybe back for good." She laughed, waving at Duff who nodded and turned his back on them to continue bussing. "I see Duff's as friendly as ever." She added with another laugh.

"That nickname is forever, little girl. Ignore Duff, he forgot to take his normal pills today." Alex laughed in agreement, ruffling her long, chocolate brown hair. She shook her hair out, batting at his hand and mock-glaring at him. "You know, just because you're giant doesn't mean you should rub in it to us normal people." She punched his arm and Remi snorted softly to himself. he was trying to stay inconspicuous for once, hoping no one noticed the fact that he was still here, eavesdropping. Alex wasn't tall by Were-hunter standards at 6', but he could see what she meant, this tiny creature that was barely  
clearing 5 foot.

"You love it."

"Only sometimes." She conceded. "Where's Kiki? The bartenders said she'd be down..."

"Our little sister spilled some paint on her pants, so she's gotta change then she'll be down. Tell me about this interview."

"At the Times-Picuyne as a section editor. There's a few more, all editing jobs."

"Oooh, fancy shmancy."

"Hey, my OCD's gotta put itself to use somehow, and you can't deny I've always had a thing for words."

"This is tru-"

"SANNA!" Kara came barreling into the human girl, practically taking her off the chair with her enthusiasm. Alex left the two girls to chat, kissing both their temples, and the girls chatted excitedly for a few minutes before Kara got to work, and Remi disappeared into the back before he grew more confused about this new girl.


	2. Chapter 2

**Note** Sanna and Remi start conversing in French a lot from here in, so I put translations in [brackets] after the French parts. Enjoy! **Note**

* * *

She was back. Back and much more upset than the last time he'd seen her. The bar was mostly empty, and only Remi and a few others were here so early. He came down early most days to get a shift over with before Quinn or /she/ came down. But he still didn't bartend, or bounce. His mother had never let him, and it felt like a betrayal to start now. But before he'd realized what he was doing, he'd walked over to her.

"You ordering or just taking up space?"

She looked up, looking surprised that she'd lost track of time but not, as he'd expected (or would have been), angry. "Oh, I'm sorry, The chocolate cake, please."

He nodded and went to put in the order, and found himself going back out to her, even though he really didn't need to. He leaned on the bar in front of her. "That's some pick-me-up food there,  
something wrong?"

She blinked, and he felt a wave of sadness coming off her, and that upset him. "Just job rejections." She said, "Employers say I can't get a job without experience, but I can't get experience without a job. It's a vicious cycle that has made me realize that a college degree apparently means jack nowadays and now I'm having to consider moving back in with my parents-" she suddenly seemed to realize she was babbling, and rushed to apologize. "I'm so sorry, here I am ranting away and you only asked-"

"I asked if something was wrong and you answered. You were a little wordy about it but whatever." He interrupted her apology. She smiled up at him and he felt his groin tighten. Weird. He hadn't had a reaction to any woman since... he shook his head to clear those thoughts and tuned back in as the human girl spoke again.

"Well, thank you. I actually feel better already."

"Bonne." [good] he said, slipping to French out of habit, turning away from her to go back to the kitchen.

"Je parle un peu francais..." [I speak a little French...] she offered, just on the side of shyly, and he turned back to her.

"Juste un peu? Votre accent est bonne." [Just a little? Your accent is good.]

She blushed, and the heat in his belly grew hotter. "Duex ans a l'universite." [Two years at university.]

He smiled, and even that small motion felt weird, out of place. "Not bad. We don't get a lot of people that know more than a couple words."

"I'm a good study." She shrugged.

Her order was called and he went to go get her cake, setting it in front of her and pouring her a soda when she asked shyly. He didn't know why he was still here. He should have retreated back to the kitchen a while ago. But he didn't feel the need to escape her just yet. Then Colt, Kyle and Quinn came down the stairs and that escape instinct kicked in.

"Thanks."

"Oui." He said shortly, leaving her and going back to the kitchen. He couldn't often hold his temper around Kyle- who just did the stupidest shit for the stupidest reasons- and especially not with Quinn being down here, salting old wounds with his simple presence. He slammed a few dishes into the sink and went back to work.

She watched him go, wondering what she'd said or did to make him leave so quickly, then a couple other men, one of which was an exact copy for the one that'd just left her, came down and started setting up for the night, and she couldn't help but wonder if he was escaping them.

"Sanna, good to see you back so soon." Kyle greeted flirtatiously. She smiled back. Kyle was handsome- in fact, everyone that worked here was, it was like testosterone overload around this place- but he wasn't her type. He was a little too eager, a little too smooth for her taste.

"I just couldn't stay away." She laughed.

"That's some serious cake before dinner. You ok?"

Remi couldn't help but pause his dish-washing to listen for her answer.

"Yeah, I'm good. What, a girl can't have dessert for dinner around here?" She asked teasingly, and he realized he was smiling again.

Kyle laughed with her. "Not at all. Good to see a woman who eats more than a salad."

"I'm not a salad girl, I'm definitely a dessert girl."

"I like you already."

A dish shattered in Remi's hands, cutting into his palm, and he let out a string of curses, leaving the kitchen to go bandage his hand before he bled all over the sink.

* * *

She didn't even know his name. She watched him stalk from the kitchen, still cursing loudly in French, holding his hand that was stained red, all the way to a hallway with a sign 'bathrooms'. Colt's voice drew her from where she sat, still watching the entryway to that hallway he'd disappeared down.  
"Don't worry Sanna. He's a grumpy bastard, but he's hardly ever out here."

"And even if he was, I'd protect you." Kyle added. She laughed as the men started bickering about the odds of Kyle being able to protect anyone, including himself, and amidst their fighting, she excused herself to the bathroom.

She hadn't even reached the girl's room when the unmarked door at the end of the hall was thrown open violently and he stomped out, pausing at the sight of her. She offered him a small, unsure smile. "Uhm, hi. I just wanted to see if you were alright?"

He stared at her for a second, then made a growling sound that didn't sound very human and stalked past her. "I'm fine."

She moved out of his way before he trampled her over, watching him go with upset eyes. "I'm sorry for whatever I did to you." She offered on the off chance it was here making him so agitated.

He froze, the sighed. It wasn't the human girl's fault he loathed his life and envied his brother and hated that Kyle was able to flirt with her because he knew how to go about making girls laugh and smile, while he was stuck in his self-inflicted isolation. He half turned back to look at her. "You didn't do anything, cher. But it'd be best if you stay away from me." Lest she too end up mated to one of his brothers.

Unusually emerald eyes practically seared him where he stood. "Mais j'aime etre autour de vous." [But I like being around you.]

Her sweet French words, in that lilting accent, broke the control he'd just barely gotten on his temper. He stalked back to her and cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard, being careful not to hurt her. Her hands came up to touch his on her face, but she didn't move other than that. Her lips parted to allow him to deepen the kiss for a few long seconds, then he pulled away but didn't let go of her just yet. "Restor loin de moi, Sanna." He growled, then turned to stalk back to the kitchen, the taste of her on his tongue.

She was completely frozen save for the shivers that still skittered across her skin from the way he'd said her name. His actual words hadn't registered at first, and luckily the fact that they were in a public place had kept her from offering herself to him right there and then. Because once the words had registered, the rejection had hit her hard, but not nearly as hard as it would have had she actually allowed herself to proposition him. And dammit, she forgot to ask his name AGAIN!

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling dirty all of a sudden. What kind of guy laid a kiss like that on a girl then told her to stay away from him? Was that just some kind of taunt, a 'ha ha look what you can never have'? She shook herself and made her way back to the bar with the others. Maybe Kyle wasn't so bad after all... but even as she thought that she rejected it. She liked the asshole one, asinine-ness be damned. If only she could figure out what his name was. Oh well, only way to know for sure was to ask, so when she arrived back at the bar, she turned to Colt. "The grumpy one, what's his name? I ran into him in the hall."

"Remi." Colt answered her, barely sparing her a glance as he took stock of the liquor. She nodded like it'd been simple curiosity and went back to her dessert. Remi. She liked that, too.


	3. Chapter 3

He stomped through the hall on his way down to the bar and almost collided with one of the others. He snarled at the other Were until bright blue eyes caught his and suddenly he was 20 years old again.

"Sorry, Rem." Becca said, smiling apologetically, twisting his gut into knots.

"Just... watch where you're going."

She nodded. "I will." They hovered in awkward silence, then she spoke again. "How are you?"

"Same shit, different day."

She looked like she wanted to chuckle, but there was a sad edge to it. "Just shit? That doesn't sound like a good time."

"Nope."

She went to reach out for him, and he stepped out of her range, making the sadness grow in her. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, one of her and Quinn's cubs came running from down the hall. "Mama! Mama!" He cried, throwing himself at her legs and hugging them. She smiled down at the cub with such sweetness and love that it physically hurt him, almost as much as the child's hair, a matching blond to his, and his deep blue eyes of his mother. "I gotta go."

She reached out and took his arm before he could escape. "Remi, if you open yourself up to happiness, you might actually find some."

He wretched his arm out of her grasp, making her pull back and the cub shrink against her legs. With effort, he got a grip on his anger so he wouldn't frighten her cub, and went to leave. "Don't preach to me about happiness, Bec." he snarled, leaving Peltier House to go downstairs.

He slammed into the alleyway and kicked a trash can so hard it flew across the alley. How fucking dare she talk to him like she still knew him, like they were still on the same level. She was on Quinn's level now, and he was left on the ground floor of hell... alone. Who was she to start caring about his happiness again, and with a fucking cub latched onto her hand. A tiny, perfect little mix of him and her, except that the cub didn't have his genes, he had his twin brother's. It was enough to send him into the worst of rages.

He slammed a fist into the wall over and over again until they were bloody, then suddenly a familiar scent made him turn. Sanna was coming toward him from the mouth of the alleyway, looking concerned, slipping a cell into her bag. "Remi?" She asked, and his anger faltered. He'd known she'd figure out his name eventually, but to hear it slip off her tongue so easily was disarming.

"Sanna?" he asked in return, feeling an inordinate amount of pleasure at the way her eyebrows furrowed in concern. It was nice to feel like someone cared, even if it wasn't true.

"I heard noise and came to see what was going on. I was just making a phone call..." She trailed off, and took a few steps back. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

He actually took another step toward her, his knuckles stinging. "It's alright. I didn't think anyone was out here."

She eyed his knuckles, and looked back up to him with pain in her eyes, and that pain touched him in places he'd thought he'd cut off after his brother ended up mated to the love of his life. "Do you need help with that?" She asked, nodding to his hands.

He should send her away. He already had once, but it'd been over a week since that, and he couldn't expect a human to follow directions very well. And today, still hurt and heartsore over Becca's nerve and the hole in his heart, he just didn't have it in him to send away someone who cared. "Sure."

She came over to him and he looked back to the door. He really didn't want to go inside with her, didn't want to invite questions, but he couldn't exactly manifest a rag and bandages in front of her. "Hold on for a minute." He said to Sanna, who had come all the way over to him and nodded, leaning against the wall. He cast her one last look before going inside to get bandages. He should leave her out  
there, no way should he go back, this had bad idea written all over it.

"That was fast."

Shit, he was already back out to her. He hadn't even realized he'd grabbed the stuff on auto-pilot and come back outside. But she reached for the wet rag in his hand and he let her take that and the bandages. She set the bandages on her bag, not in it, but balanced on top of the flaps, and she reached for his right hand and started cleaning the blood from his knuckles. Her soft, tiny hand held his up and she gently blotted at the blood with her other until only the scratches were left. She hung the rag over her arm and carefully wrapped his hand, then reached for the other. He winced as she touched that one, not so much from the pain, but from being so close to her. It was starting to make him antsy and uncomfortable.

"Are you ok?" She asked, looking up at him with those unfairly green eyes, and all he could do was nod. She smiled a little and went back to tending his hand, until that one was clean and bandaged too. He took his hand back and looked back to the door to the bar. "I've gotta get back." She nodded, and he stepped a few paces away from her, then turned to go back inside.

"Glad to see your hand healed so well from last week." She said, and he turned to look back at her. Shit. His hand had already healed from the broken dish, but he hadn't realized she'd notice that. "Yeah, it was a shallow cut."

She just nodded, but he had a feeling she knew more than she was letting on, and he retreated back inside before he said something else stupid. He clenched his hands into fists, willing them to stop tingling from her touch.


	4. Chapter 4

He'd left the bar, something he rarely, if ever, did. He needed out, and he'd needed it immediately.

Becca was pregnant again. His Beccs had another of his twin's children growing inside her. He wasn't sure if he was more upset about being robbed another son or daughter or the physical proof of another night of hers spent in Quinn's bed, with Quinn's hands on her and her long, smooth legs wrapped around someone that wasn't Remi.

He shook his head violently against those thoughts as he left the bar. No one had said anything directly to him about Becca, he'd overheard it, but it seemed everyone knew why he had to leave. Cherif had appeared out of no where to take over for his shift and no one had asked any questions save the ones in Quinn's eyes, the ones that were always asking for forgiveness.

So he stalked down the street, wondering if he should finally take a leave of absence from the bar. But he knew he'd never do that. He was nothing if not stupidly loyal to his family. He'd walk off his frustration and go home to do what he needed to do for his family.

A scent hit him, the only scent that could possibly distract him right now; Sanna was close.

He followed the scent to a door for a bar, Bourbon Street Blues. It didn't look very crowded, or even open, and the sign said it opened at 7. With a glance at his watch, he realized it was only 2PM. That was surprising, the heavy cloud cover made it feel later. There was singing inside and he could see people through the window, so he pushed open the door and settled himself by the bar. There were a couple crowded tables, probably locals, but Sanna was easy to spot in the crowds. She was up on the stage, singing a song to the music of the few band members behind her.

"But that's a road I don't wanna go back down, and I hate myself for what I'm thinking now. Hey it's just one night, it's not like it's forever... I just wanna feel better..."

Her voice was low, not professional by any means, but husky with emotion, and he had a hard time holding back from going over to her. A human guy behind the bar noticed him standing mute and staring at her, and grinned. "She's pretty good, isn't she?"

Remi met the guy's eyes with glaring, possessive ones of his own. "What?"

The guy nodded to the human girl onstage, avoiding looking back at Remi. "Sanna. She knows the owner and he lets her come belt it out sometimes before we open. She's pretty good, huh?"

Remi looked back to her without responding. He agreed with the bartender, but her skill was in the real sadness in her voice, and that sadness still upset him.

"I just wanna feel good, feel alright, feel anything but what I feel tonight..." She finally glanced up at the crowd and like she was drawn to him, her eyes immediately found his. "I just want to move on, with my life, and put the pieces back together... I just wanna feel... better..." The tears in her eyes made it all but impossible for him to keep from flashing to her side and pulling her to him. Though as she sung words that seemed to come from his soul, he wasn't sure if he'd be comforting her or the other way around.

Her song ended, and she thanked the band, waiting until she'd hopped off stage to slyly swipe at her eyes. She smiled at the others that called out compliments, but she beelined to Remi, smiling in the shy way she had, her cheeks flushed red. "Hey. I uhm, I didn't know you were coming, that you came here..." She couldn't seem to find the words she wanted, and it made him want to chuckle. Instead, he interrupted her.

"I don't come here. I just happened by today." It was a half truth anyway.

"Wow, you have... awful timing." She laughed, and he scowled in confusion. "What?"

"I don't usually let anyone hear me sing. It's like, my guilty pleasure."

"The people around here seem to know you."

"They only know me as that girl that likes to sing here sometimes. I more meant my friends." She said pointedly. It warmed him that she considered him a friend. He didn't have friends, he had family and enemies. "You're good." he said, for lack of anything else to say.

"Merci."

He actually did smile then. "I'm just walking, needed to clear my head. Want to walk?"

She looked surprised, but not nearly as surprised as he was with himself. What the fuck was he doing? Was he just a glutton for punishment today? He was going to leave Becca and her new pregnancy to walk around with a cute human girl who barely knew him just to go back to the rage of his normal life.

But Sanna made him less angry. He deserved a time where he wasn't broken or infuriated.

Her responsive smile warmed him as her words had. "I'd like that." She said, waving to the bartender as she and Remi walked out together. They walked in awkward silence together for a few blocks, then she spoke. "So... clearing your head. Did you have anything in mind?"

He shook his head, but didn't say anything in response, and she fell silent again. He could feel how uncomfortable she was, but how was he supposed to explain what was really bothering him to some human girl? She wouldn't understand that it wasn't really Quinn's fault, that it was the fault of the Fates. That no matter how much he and Becca may want it, there was no way they could ever be together. And he hadn't really planned on doing anything in particular, he was just going to stomp around then go home. But now he had a girl with him, and she was getting more uncomfortable by the second. "Jackson Square?"

She cocked her head at him. "Jackson Square?" She repeated. "You like Jackson Square? All he crowds and the people and the noise..."

"I can handle crowds and noise." He said, frowning again. She smiled and nodded. "If you're hungry, there's Stanley's on the northeast corner of the Square."

He nodded. That'd be fine. He liked Stanley's. They had good banana's foster. They made their way to the Square, and as they approached the edge of the crowded touristy area, he started to remember exactly how much he did hate crowds and noise. Every few seconds someone else would knock into them, and there was one guy who'd actually grabbed Sanna's arm to keep from falling. Fucker had almost lost his arm for that one, and Remi would have succeeded had Sanna not called him off with a light laugh. Finally they reached Stanley's, and got a table fairly quickly. Most restaurants didn't like making Remi wait, his perpetual scowl seemed to scare other customers off. They got a seat on the terrace and watched as the crowds went by as they ordered. They sat in silence and ate mostly in silence, and for the first time in a long time, he wished that he knew how to make small talk. But she wasn't uncomfortable, she was just quiet, looking at the crowds as they filed past, every now and then glancing up at Remi to realize he was already looking at her and glance back down at her plate with a faint blush lighting her cheeks. After dinner was over, Remi paid over her protests and led her out, realizing his hand was dangerously close to the small of her back as they went back into the crowds.

It was almost 5, but already mostly dark thanks to early winter hours and heavy cloud cover. They started to leave the Square, and out of habit he started to lead them up Chartres, back toward Sanctuary. They were only to Dumaine when a flash of blonde appeared and Sanna was ripped from his side, yanked into the alleyway to their right. With a feral growl, Remi lunged after her. Whoever had  
decided to fuck with her had picked the wrong day to piss him off.

He was forced to pause his attack when he realized it wasn't some mugger with a death wish that had grabbed Sanna, but two daimons. One, the female, had Sanna in her grip, a knife to the human girl's throat. Another growl ripped from his throat and though the daimon girl hesitated at the sight of him, she didn't drop the knife. "Leave, were-hunter. My quarrel isn't with you, it's with Sanna."

He shot Sanna a confused scowl, but she looked as confused as he did, How did a human girl get herself involved with daimons? He shook that thought away; he'd get her to safety first, then figure out what was going on. "You see, that's a damn shame because now I've MADE it my quarrel. Let her go."

"No!" The girl shouted, even as her male companion whispered something to her with a nervous glance at Remi. "Not until I've had my vengeance."

He was done talking. He flashed behind the daimon girl and reached around her to pull the hand with the knife away from Sanna and before the daimon female could blink, her hand with her knife was at her own throat. "Let her go." he snarled. Her hand loosened from around Sanna and in one fluid motion, he threw the female across the alleyway. He turned on her companion with a glower, but the  
male had run to the female's side. They must be young to not put up much of a fight. The male opened a bolt hole and pulled the female into it despite her protests and threats to Sanna.

Once the two daimons were gone, he turned to Sanna, wincing in anticipation. He shouldn't have used his powers in front of her, but it'd been his knee-jerk reaction in order to keep her from being hurt. He could always have Max mind-wipe her if she freaked out too badly.

But she wasn't even looking at him. She'd sunk to the ground, a hand over her throat, looking more freaked out about her near death than about the fact that he'd teleported in front of her eyes. He went to kneel next to her. "Sanna, are you-"

She shook her head and interrupted him. "I'm sorry Remi, I didn't know she even knew who I was. I shouldn't have put in at risk like that."

"I'm missing at least one important piece in that apology. Who is she, and how'd you get mixed up with daimons." She didn't even blink when he called them by their name. She must be more involved that he'd thought.

* * *

Sanna cursed herself. She should have known this was going to come back to bite her in the ass. "It's a long story."

He sat next to her, watching with that confused scowl. "I'm listening."

She wasn't very surprised that he knew what daimons were. If Kara and Alex did, it stood to reason their whole family did. "She called you a were-hunter... so you're like Alex?"

His scowl deepened. "Like Alex how?"

"You're a shapeshifter. You have powers. That kind of thing, like Alex when he saved us from the demons that blew up Bubba's truck trying to get to Nick."

He raised an eyebrow but didn't ask her to explain. Not that she expected him to; Alex almost getting blown up was not something that his family wouldn't know about. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, I'm like Alex. Though he shouldn't be telling you shit like that."

"He saved my life, it's not something I'd ever tell anyone."

"Back to the daimons. Is Alex mixed up with this?"

She shook her head. "No, this is all on me." She took a deep breath and started the true story only Kara and Alex knew, as opposed to the lie everyone else knew. "The girl is Amaranda. She's the sister of a guy I used to date."

"You dated a daimon?" He looked disgusted, and she scowled back at him.

"NO. He wasn't daimon when I knew him. He was Apollite. He never killed anyone." She snapped. "He'd planned on it though. He said it'd always been the plan to change to daimon when he turned 27. But he changed his mind."

"And why was an Apollite telling you his supernatural life story?"

"He didn't at first. I didn't have any idea until about two months before his 27th birthday." She swallowed back tears, grateful that Remi was allowing her space, even if only because her story disgusted him. But he looked less disgusted now, more just unhappy. "Then he told me the whole story of Apollites and daimons and what it means to be a daimon and what happens if you choose not to be a  
daimon. Then he said he;d planned on going daimon since he was young, that his mother had been killed but his father and sister were both daimon, but he said that I-" She swallowed again. "-that I wasn't someone who would love a murderer. So he wasn't going daimon after all."

"Wow. He must have really loved you." There was a harsh, bitter edge to his words, and she almost burst into tears all over again.

"I don't know what he was thinking! We'd only been dating for like, six months. We knew each other before that, but only like, hey there's that grad student I see in the library sometimes. I don't know how or why he decided he was in love with me, and I liked him but I'd never said I loved him and he killed himself anyway!" She finally broke and burst into sobs. She'd never told even Kara or Alex that part, she'd just let them assume that she and Phillip had been on the same page.

* * *

Remi blinked, surprised and uncomfortable when she suddenly broke down into tears. He wasn't skilled at handling female emotions, but he'd seen Zar and Alex comfort Kara and Fang comfort Aimee  
enough to have a basic idea. He moved nearer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.  
"I'm sorry, I'm not usually such a nutcase, I just didn't realize his family would blame me too and come after me. He said he didn't really talk to them."

"He probably meant he didn't talk to them about YOU." Remi pointed out.

She gave a watery laugh. "Point taken. God, I'm so stupid." She said, slipping out from under his arm and standing, offering him a hand. He didn't take it, but he did rise to his feet. "You should come to Sanctuary. We'll be able to protect you there and figure out how to solve your daimon problem."

"I don't want you any more involved-"

"Look, we'll get involved one way or another, whether it's now to protect you or later when Kara asks us to avenge your death. Personally, I'd choose now so you get to live through it."

She looked to the ground but nodded, and he nudged her back to the mouth of the alleyway, reaching down to scoop up her fallen bag. He handed it to her and she smiled at him. "Makes you wish you'd never met me, huh?"

He kept them moving, not responding. His instinctual reaction startled him; he wouldn't trade knowing her for peace. He wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

She wondered what she'd done this time. he'd been even quieter and surlier since her lame attempt at a joke. During the last block to Sanctuary he hadn't said a word, and when they came up on the door of the bar, another exact copy of Remi- only with a reckless grin where Remi's scowl was- had teased Remi lightly about getting his ass handed to him by Sanna, and Remi had lunged with a snarl. His copy didn't seem very alarmed, and actually hadn't even stopped laughing as he'd shoved Remi inside.

She knew it wasn't her place, but she couldn't help frown at the reckless one. "He was protecting me, you shouldn't tease him about it."

"I was just playin' cher."

"I don't think he takes playing well."

The copy gave her an odd look but nodded. "That he don't. You're Kara's friend, yeah? What's your name?"

"Sanna."

"Well I'm Dev, it's a pleasure to meet you Sanna. Rem's lucky to have such a pretty fille looking out for him."

She shrugged. "I'd be daimon dinner right now if not for him, so I think you've got it a little mixed up, Dev. Nice to meet you too." She smiled, going inside to the bar to find Remi, Kara, or Alex. She didn't need to look far; she'd barely reached the bar when Kara appeared at her side.

"Sans, my uncle just told me about Phillip's family coming after you. Why didn't you tell me, you know we'd watch out for you-"

She laughed, holding up a hand to stall Kara's words. "Whoa whoa whoa Kara, slow it down girl. I didn't tell you because it just happened like five minutes ago. Phillip made it sound like he didn't have any contact with his family, I didn't know they even knew who I was."

"Well, Uncle Remi's right, we need to watch out for you. And teach you how to fight."

"I'm not much of a fighter, Kayray."

Her best friend's eyes dimmed a little. "Yeah, we all think that until out or our loved one's lives are at risk."

"Kara?"

"I don't want to get into it. Just, say you'll learn how to defend yourself?"

She nodded, put off and a little frightened by the look in Kara's eyes as she glanced across the bar. Sanna followed her eyeline to Alex and Duff, and it didn't take much to figure out why Kara would find herself fighting. But then it was Duff, not Alex, who looked over like he'd sensed her looking at him. They both immediately looked away, and Sanna cocked her head. "You ok, Kayray?"

Kara smiled, looking more like herself again. "Yeah, I'm good. It's just a serious thing, I don't want you to end up getting hurt."

She nodded again. "I know. I'll learn. You and Alex can teach me."

Kara grinned. "Awesome. It'll be nice to practice against someone who won't kick my ass in twenty seconds flat."

Sanna rolled her eyes, hopping up onto a barstool. "Can't wait." She deadpanned, making Kara laugh. "Besides, I'm more in danger of starving or killing myself at my parent's house."

"Still no job?"

She shook her head. "Nope, nothing. I thought this whole degree business was supposed to make it easier to get a job, not harder."

"So work here."

"What?"

Kara grinned again. "So work here. We can always use a waitress on day shift, no one ever wants day shift and we had two girls quit in the last month to go back to school. I'm sure Aunt Aimee would be thrilled."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, let me go get her." Kara rushed off before Sanna said anything else and returned a few minutes later with a pretty blonde that vaguely resembled Kara. "Hi, Sanna? I'm Aimee, Kara's aunt. I hear you're looking for some work?"

"If you've got a position available."

"You ever served before?"

"Not in a bar, but in a restaurant back in college."

She looked wary, but nodded. "Can't hurt to try you out. Can you do the afternoon shifts? They start at two PM and go to ten PM depending on how busy we are."

Sanna grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I can do that!"

Aimee smiled back. "Good. I'll get the paperwork started and I'll give you a holler when I'm ready for you. You should probably hang around here for a little while, see what the night staff is like. A lot of the girls don't like the later shifts because the night staff is... a little rough around the edges."

"I'm sure I'll be fine. But I'll hang around a couple hours just in case."

"Alright. I'll call you back to the office a little later." Aimee waved to the two girls and went back through the hallway. The bar staff was a little cranky, but none so much as Remi, and she knew she could handle herself. She filled out her paperwork but didn't see Remi again for the rest of the night, and she eventually left to her parent's house without having seen him. That hurt more than she'd have expected. She barely knew him, she shouldn't care about seeing him. And the uncle of her best friend! That had to be crossing some line. Sure, lines seemed more blurred here, with a bunch of people coming and going, and Kara's whole family apparently sharing the connected house with like half the bar staff, Duff included. But still, longing for a glance of Kara's uncle was probably weird by even their  
standards.

She shook her head and started for her parent's house, pleased when she managed to get there without being attacked and disappointed that she had to be back at their house at all. "I'm home!"


	5. Chapter 5

He'd managed to avoid her for the night, but then Aimee had cornered him on his way back up to Peltier House.

"Hey Rem, heads up. Kara's friend is gonna start waitressing."

"Here?"

She rolled her eyes and he resisted a growl. "No, frere, down the road. Yes here, so play nice. She's important to Kara."

He just nodded and pushed past Aimee to go upstairs to his room. Fucking awesome. Now he'd have to choose between day shifts with Sanna or night shifts with Quinn and Becca. Did the gods truly hate him this much or were they just bored today?

He slept, and intermingled with his usual dreams of his and Becca's past were dreams of Sanna in the present. By the time he woke, his thoughts were so mixed up he considered taking another day off. But there was no time to find someone to cover for him so he forced himself up and to the bathroom.

He got down to the bar, and paused at the sight of Sanna, spinning in a twirl to show off her black Sanctuary t-shirt to Kara. Kara clapped sarcastically and smacked Sanna with a tray before handing said tray to her. Sanna took the tray and glanced up, catching Remi's eyes on the stairs and she waved with a cute, apologetic smile. His scowl deepened and he stalked downstairs and into the kitchen, trying to get the images from his dreams out of his head, made worse by the fact that he already knew what she felt and tasted like. The bear in him wanted another taste, wanted to pull her to him knowing she wouldn't pull away, knowing she wouldn't eventually leave him to go home to his brother. But that was just wishful thinking, and he'd given up on that when the fates had mated Becca to Quinn.

He cursed violently in French, slamming dishes into the sink to wash them. Already there were too many for his liking, did no one else ever do any fucking dishes around here?

* * *

Sanna sighed. "I don't know what I keep doing to piss off your uncle, but I'm pretty sure he hates me."

Kara waved her off. "Eh, Uncle Remi hates everyone. He's got a complicated story. Just know that he's a good guy, even though he's permanently grumpy." Sanna smiled to herself as she started for her tables. She didn't need Kara to tell her Remi was a good guy; his immediate rise to her defense had set that opinion in stone.

Serving tables was mindless work, but it wasn't difficult. Five and half years of school had made her an ace memorizer, and the orders were easy to keep in line. One of her tables cleared and one of the other girls paused by the table as Sanna started gathering the dishes for Kara.

"I'd let Kara or Duff do that, hun. That big guy in the back, Remi, he'll snap your face off if you ain't careful."

She barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and smiled instead. "Thanks for the tip."

"Watch out for Duff, too. He's about as mean as Remi."

She nodded again. "Watch for Remi and Duff, got it." The girl went back to her section and Sanna gathered the dishes in her hands and headed back to the kitchen. She set the dishes next to the other stacks, smiling as Remi glanced up with a scowl. He didn't say anything, and she felt a little more hurt poison her heart, but tried not to show it as she went back out to wash her hands and return to her tables.

* * *

He'd upset her again. Fuck. He wasn't used to talking to someone who wasn't someone he hated or someone who wasn't in the process of pissing him off. He almost called her back to him, but resisted the urge. they'd all be better if they just stayed away from each other.

And that plan lasted almost five whole days. Then it all fell apart. It was a Wednesday, a slow day by usual standards, and she'd brought back her own dishes again. But instead of a strained smile and a brief hello, she'd stopped next to him, a hand propped sassily on her hip. "Vous savez, si je continue a faire qeulque chose pour vous, que vous pouriez me alerter parfois. Juste une pensee." [You know, if I keep doing something to you, you may want to alert me to it sometimes. Just a thought.]

He looked up to glare at her. "Peut-etre parce que je vous ai idt de rester loin de moi, no?" [Maybe it's because I told you to stay away from me, no?] He didn't know why started the conversation in French, but he was glad. No one in the kitchen spoke it, and he didn't have a headset so none of the other weres would be able to hear their conversation.

She squeaked in indignation. "Considerant que vous avez dit il apres m'avoir embrasse, excusez-moi pour abtenir des signaux mitigues M. veulent venir lors d'une promenade avec moi!" [Considering you said it after you kissed me, excuse me for getting mixed signals Mr. want to come on a walk with me!]

He snarled, taking a step closer to her. Part of im wanted to shake her, but the other part just wanted to strip her naked and take her right here in the kitchen. "Vous devez aller." [You need to go.]

She met him toe to toe, not quailing back at his snarl. "Et si je ne sais pas?" [And what if I don't?]

He was going to hit her or kiss her again. She wasn't entirely sure which. But to her immense disappointment, Cara called out a few orders and two of the other waitresses came bustling in, and Remi retreated back to the sink, his back to her. "Les hommes." [Men.] She muttered darkly, leaving the kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6

"C'mon, Sans, one more go. You've almost got it!" Alex laughed as Sanna leaned against a tree trunk, swinging the wooden pole in his hand, in unfairly good spirits after having kicked her ass for the  
third time in ten minutes. Alex and Kara had taken her training more seriously than she'd originally expected. Not even three days after her conversation with Kara and when she came in for her shift, Kara had swooped in and directed her away from the bar and up the stairs instead.

_"Nope. No bar for you today, Sanna girl. Today is training, day one." Kara had laughed, yanking her up the stairs and past the second floor to the third floor and into a side office, where Alex and Duff were both waiting for the girls. "Ta da!" Kara presented the boys with a grin that could only be called devious. "Meet your trainers."_

_Sanna looked at the guys warily. Alex might actually be a good teacher, but Duff she had a feeling would rather just beat her up and walk away. "Uhm... hi guys."_

_Alex grinned happily. "We got your and our shifts covered and today you're getting a first hand look at were-powers. Let's move ladies." He said, reaching out for Kara and Sanna's shoulder, then both they and Duff were suddenly standing in a clearing of trees. Her jaw had dropped and she spun in a circle. "Where are we?"_

_"A mountain a friend owns. Well, he lives on it and keeps it clear of daimons, which is the same basic thing so whatever. You ready to start?" Two wooden poles appeared in each hand and he handed one to her, then came at her with his. Kara settled herself on a rock, and Duff suddenly shape-shifted to a black panther and disappeared into the shadows.  
_

It was almost an hour later. They took breaks, but she wasn't improving even a little. Alex was kicking her ass in minutes flat every time and she couldn't figure out why. "I don't know, Lex. I'm beat."

"You gotta get past the weariness. Daimons ain't gonna stop just because you call time out."

"I'm serious, Lex. I'm exhausted."

Suddenly, a panther dropped from the tree in front of Sanna and she shrieked loudly, trying to dive back away from the animal with it's teeth bared. It leapt for her and she screamed, swinging the pole to stall the huge jaws chomping at her face. Finally, after a few long, terrifying seconds of hoarse shrieking, Kara's voice rose up.

"Duff, leave her alone she gets the point!"

The panther retreated from her and stalked around the clearing, turning back into the scowling boy she was more familiar with. She glared at him from the ground where she was still panting in a panic. "Asshole."

He smirked, and even Kara laughed along with Alex. "He's definitely that." Kara agreed even as her eyes told a different story. "But he did get the point across. You're no where near ready to take on anyone on your own."

Alex went back to the middle of the clearing and Sanna sighed, pushing herself to her feet and facing off with Alex again. Her heart was still beating erratically. She definitely wasn't tired anymore. Duff scoffed from the corner of the clearing. "She ain't ever gonna learn this way. She needs a challenge." He changed back to panther and started pacing behind her, a low growl rumbling in his massive throat.

"Duff, don't be an ass." Kara called from her spot, but didn't bother to get up to interfere. Alex didn't even say that much, just continued to circle her. Now she had Alex at her front and Duff at her back, both options she didn't like. She was seriously worried now; Alex wouldn't hurt her more than simple bruises, but Duff might seriously injure her, even if only by accident. She didn't want to try to explain giant claw slashes to her parents, and she didn't feel like bleeding out either. This could get really messy really quickly.

But as Alex twirled the pole in his hand, she felt everything get a little sharper, and she closed her eyes. She could hear Duff's growling more clearly, could hear where exactly he was behind her, and could hear the swish, swish, swish of Alex's wooden pole spinning in his hands, letting her know his position in front of her.

"Going to sleep on us Sanna banana?" Alex teased, then the growling gave way to a small grunt, and she knew instinctively that Duff was rushing her. She dropped to a crouch and backward rolled, throwing her feet back and catching Duff in the throat. It didn't stop him, but it was enough to surprise him, and she rolled back to her feet, brandishing the pole in front of her. Duff hesitated a second, and she heard more noise from her left and swung the pole to the side, catching Alex in the side and making him grunt. She spun in the same second to catch Duff across the jaw with the pole, and dropped to the ground and kicked out, swinging a leg under Alex's and taking him off his feet to send him sprawling to the ground. She turned to face Duff, who leapt in the same second she rolled under his jump, letting him land on top of Alex. She spun again, breathing hard and still brandishing her pole, waiting for the counter attack.

But Duff changed back to human, rubbing his jaw and Alex pushed himself off the ground, looking alarmed. Then suddenly Kara was at her side, looking as nervous as Alex did. "Sans... hun, you ok?"

Sanna suddenly realized she was still crouched to attack, and dropped the pole, looking around at the others. All of them were staring at her and she couldn't figure out why. "Yeah..."

"Sanna, there's somethin' wrong with your eyes." Alex said, and Duff growled.

She suddenly felt like all her energy was sapped, and she collapsed to the ground. She was still conscious as Kara and Alex rushed to her side, but she barely had the energy to keep her eyes open, let alone respond to their worry. Her vision swam and blurred in front of her eyes, and it felt like there wasn't enough oxygen getting to her lungs. It took a few minutes and a whole bottle of water, but finally she was well enough to speak. "What was wrong with my eyes?"

They all exchanged looks, then shook their heads. "Nothin' honey." Kara said. "Trick of the light, they're perfectly normal." There wasn't a 'now' on the end of Kara's sentence, but something told her that there should have been.


	7. Chapter 7

[Two weeks later]

She put the dishes next to the rest of the dishes, and turned to leave when a splitting crash wrecked the air. She turned to see the dishes spilled and strewn across the table and into the sink. Remi was already enraged, screaming obscenities in French. "C'est quoi ce bordel?! Est-il si difficile de mettre les petits plats où ils ne tomberont pas dans l'évier?! Dieu bon sang!" [What the fuck!? Is it so hard to put the dishes where they won't fall into the sink?! God dammit!]

She frowned at him, feeling a thread of anger rise. "Eh bien, si vous ne précaire équilibre entre les plats côté de l'évier peut-être que cela n'arriverait pas tous les jours!" [Well if you wouldn't precariously balance the dishes next to the sink maybe it wouldn't happen every day!]

"Les plats sont dans la même sacrément tache dieu chaque putain de putain de jour!" [The dishes are in the same god damn spot every goddamn fucking day!]

"Et ils tombent tous les jours putain!" [And they fall every goddamn day!]

They were toe to toe again, and she felt that now-familiar sense that he was about to hit or kiss here, even though in the last four times they'd argued he never had. Although, they'd never actually yelled at each other like they were now. But it was late, the bar was almost completely empty save the other supernatural staff and a few regulars. It's been a tough day and she was still bouncing back from the day. She'd been chased through the streets of New Orleans by Amaranda and her buddy, fallen and skinned her knee straight through her work pants and had to run home and change after barely escaping her hunting party. After the day she'd had, her patience was at an all time low.

"Ils ne baise automne si vous souhaitez simplement regarder où vous baise les mettre!" [They wouldn't fucking fall if you'd just look where you fucking PUT THEM!]

"AHH! Vous êtes la créature la plus impossible que j'aie jamais RENCONTRE!" [AHH! You are the most impossible creature I have ever MET!] She shrieked, stalking out of the kitchen and pausing outside the door over the sounds of his rage back in the kitchen. She smoothed her hair down, willing the anger to calm. It seemed like everyone was looking at her, and finally Kara, holding back laughter, spoke. "I think it's time for you to head out for the night, yeah? We're slow anyway."

Sanna nodded and stalked out to the alleyway to rage herself. She'd barely gotten two paces back and forth across the alley when the door slammed back open and Remi was suddenly there, still looking furious. But her own anger made it hard to be properly afraid of his anger.

* * *

He threw more dishes into the already overfilled sink, cursing loudly. But even that wasn't enough to make him miss Dev's teasing words outside the kitchen, near the door at the bar.

"Well. Looks like Remi's finally met his match."

Who the fuck did that little human girl think she was? He snarled to himself and stomped out the kitchen and followed her scent to the alleyway and threw the door open. He was surprised no one followed him. But there was only Sanna, livid and lovely, in the middle of the alleyway. "What, you come to yell at me some more?" she snapped.

"You are the most frustrating woman I've ever met." He snarled, but before she could snap back at him, he'd crossed the space between them and pulled her to him, crashing his lips to hers. He could feel her try to gasp past his lips, but when he tried to pull back, her hands yanked him by his shirt back closer to her. Her lips parted and while she wasn't Becca- wasn't anything like Becca actually- he felt a blaze of attraction set his blood on fire.

He was about to lift her up so she could wrap her legs around him, but then her lips were gone from his and a shriek made him redirect his attention to the four daimons in the alley. Mother fucker! What perfect fucking timing. He snarled ferally and lunged for the man holding Sanna, but then she dropped to the ground and pulled him with her, bringing him off balance and letting her throw him over her shoulder. Remi paused and raised an eyebrow, but didn't hesitate to go after another daimon. He manifested a dagger and stabbed one in his ink blot before the fucker had even blinked. He dissipated in a cloud of dust and Remi lunged for another, hearing a human growl from Sanna's direction and a grunt of exertion and a pain filled, suddenly cut off scream of pain from her daimon. Remi took out the fourth without much effort- Amaranda's friends were all as young as her, and they were paying for that inexperience. Amaranda screamed from under Sanna, but then she rolled out from Sanna's grip and opened a bolt hole to vanish into before Sanna could stab her too. Sanna rose, swaying slightly and panting hard, and he went to her side, even more turned on than before. "That was incredible, little human girl."

She smiled, but it was strained, and as he leaned in to kiss her, he'd swear there was a black tint over her emerald eyes, turning them a hunter green color. But her eyes fluttered closed at his kiss, and when they both opened their eyes again, hers were their normal jeweled color. He must be seeing things.

"You liked that did you?" She teased, looking better, not breathing as hard.

He could only growl and yank her back to him for another hot kiss. She twined her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, kissing him desperately, and without thinking about it, he flashed them to his room. For a brief second he cursed himself for not taking them to the back room; it was the better place for them, and less personal. But they were already here, and she was whimpering as she ran her hands up under his shirt over his abs, her hands warm and eager. So he mentally said fuck it and lifted her in his arms and her legs wrapped around his waist, trying to get him even closer as her groin gyrated against his. He was surprised, and couldn't help the comparison that popped up into his thoughts. Becca had never been so overtly sexual, she was more the sweet one, the one that teased him to a frenzy and reaped the benefits of her teasing. But Sanna was pulling at his clothes and locking her legs around him and pressing against him in a way that said simple teasing was the last thing on her mind. He fell back to sit on the bed with her straddling him, and her hands tangled in his short hair. He wrapped an arm around her waist and flipped them over so she was on the bed and he was kneeling on the bed between her legs. With a thought, their clothes were gone, and she burst into laughter. "I'm liking these powers of yours."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, cher."

* * *

It was over an hour before they were both finally sated, and she rolled to the edge of the bed and swung her legs off it. The rage was gone, both from her and Remi's fight and the worse rage that had unexpectedly hit her in the daimon fight. It was like the practice session all over again, she'd gone suddenly calm and then the anger was all she could feel and she reacted instinctively, stabbing one of her attackers before pouncing on Amaranda. Then she'd remembered Remi and gotten distracted, giving Amaranda the chance to escape. Her escape worsened the already dangerous anger, but then Remi was kissing her, and the anger calmed, like a wild cat under a gentle touch. And now, spent and content from the numerous positions he'd bent her in, the anger was gone. Thank goodness. She wasn't used to this randomly rising anger that hit her without warning. She wasn't an angry person by nature, and she didn't want to start now.

"You leavin' so soon?" He asked. He hadn't bothered to get up or dress, and he lay sprawled across the bed, looking delectable. She leaned back over and trailed a hand over his hard abs, pressing a kiss to them before looking for her clothes. "I thought by now the guy was supposed to be kicking me out with some empty promise to call?"

He chuckled lazily and she was surprised at how handsome he was when he wasn't scowling. Not that he wasn't beyond handsome even with his scowl, but his smile was... gods. No words could describe. It wasn't like Dev's, with it's tinge of reckless abandon, or like the other two copies, one of which always managed to look sad or shy and the other that always had a sardonic edge to it. It was slow, and lazy, and still didn't manage to smooth his ever-furrowed brows above his eyes. Small differences, but enough to make her like Remi's best. "Maybe. I ain't ever slept around so I'm probably not the best male to ask."

She paused in her search. "Seriously? C'mon, Remi, let's be straight with each other." She laughed, going back to her look. "Where the hell are my clothes?"

He manifested her clothes for her again, and shrugged. "I am bein' straight, cher. I ain't the kind to sleep around." He got lost in thought for a moment, but he quickly came back to her.

A shyness took over her features, and she smiled at him. "Oh no? Well, I feel special then."

"You should."

She laughed and smacked him with her shirt before pulling it on, and squeaked in surprised when he was suddenly sitting on the edge of the bed, a leg on either side of her, his lips at her stomach before she'd pulled her shirt down. "You keep that up and I'll have a hard time leaving."

"That's the plan."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, oh grumpy one." She said, leaning in to kiss him before tapping his nose. "I need to get back outside in order to go home."

"Where's home?"

No where. The thought hit her and suddenly she felt like crying. Home wasn't with her parents. She had no home. She had a waitressing job and a pack of supernatural beings out for her blood and no home. She shook those thoughts away and attempted a smile. "Uhm, it's actually just straight up Ursulines. Claiborne Ave."

He cocked his head at her. "What's wrong, cher?"

"Nothing."

He shook his head, scowling again. "Naw, I said something to make you upset again. Fuck, I'm sorry San-"

"Remi it's not you. It's just... I don't really count my parent's house as home, and it's sad that I'm twenty-four and I have no where to call home."

He watched her for a second, then shrugged again. "Well, a lot a creatures end up callin' here home, you're welcome to join 'em. We're a cranky bunch but we're good in a pinch."

She smiled more easily this time. "That actually sounds great. My bag's still downstairs, "

He smiled, and in the span of a second he was clothed again and getting off the bed to offer her a hand. "Let's get you home." She took his hand and they flashed to the alleyway. She went inside and ducked back behind the bar to get her bag and rose back to full height to see Kara coming over. She smiled and waved to her and once they were within earshot Kara smiled laughingly. "Finally remember your bag, did you?"

She rolled her eyes. "At least I'm pretty, right?"

Kara laughed loudly. "That you are. How far home were you?"

"All the way, of course. It would figure that I-ow! Shit!" She yelped, shaking out her right hand as it burned violently. "Shit shit shit shit!" She shook out her hand and ducked past Kara to head to the bathroom, Kara's voice following her in concern. "Sans, you ok?"

"Yeah, I burned my hand!" She called back, ducking into the bathroom. She turned on the water and stuck her hand under the stream of cool water until her hand stopped burning and pulled her hand back to inspect it. What the hell could she have burned her hand on-? "Whoa." She gaped at her hand. There was a strange knotwork like design branded on her hand, one that almost looked like a bear. "The hell?"

"What's wrong?" Kara walked into the bathroom. "I wanted to make sure- what is that?!"

"I don't know. Unless I managed to brand myself with something-"

"Oh my god Sanna who did you sleep with?!" Kara whisper shouted. Sanna paled. How could Kara tell?

"Uhm, I didn't- I wasn't, I mean... I'm so sorry, Kara. It was just a one time thing, we were just both worked up and there there was another attack and the adrenaline-"

"Oh my god my uncle Remi?!" Kara was still technically whisper shouting, but her huge eyes and dropped jaw was enough to let Sanna know she wanted to be shouting.

"I'm sorry!"

Kara went to check all the stalls and then she went to lock the bathroom door, turning on Sanna with hands on her hips and a glare. "Do you have ANY idea what you both have done?"

"I'm so sorry Kara I know he's your uncle and it's beyond wrong-"

"Fuck that, Sans!" She said, shaking her head like she didn't even care abut that. "This is so much bigger and so much worse than just sleeping with someone in my family. I thought you understood that we're not like humans, not at all!" Kara looked really worried, and her worry was rubbing off on Sanna.

"Kara what are you talking about? I'm not planning on marrying your uncle, relax."

"This," Kara yanked up Sanna's hand so the brand was facing them both. "Means that you only have a partial choice about that."

"What?"

Kara ran a nervous hand through her hair. "I can't... it's not my place to tell you all of this. Just... merde." Kara was muttering. "Ok, the only thing I can tell you before you talk to Remi is please, please keep an open mind. There's a lot about were-hunters we haven't told you and you're about to get a crash course in it."

"Kara I don't understand-"

"AND," Kara talked over her, "That my uncle Remi is really rough around the edges, but like I said, he has a really complicated story that I'm pretty sure you're going to hear, so please go easy on him."

"Kara, you're not making any little tiny bit of sense."

"I know, and I'm really sorry about that, but I can't say anything else until you talk to Uncle Remi. Once you've talked to him, come back to me and I'll expand on whatever you want."

"Whatever crazy girl. I'm going to go home and ice my hand." She said, hugging Kara, beyond glad her friend didn't seem upset about Sanna's sleeping with Remi. She went back out and rounded the corner back to the bar and froze.

Remi was at the door, glaring around the bar like a man with a mission. His eyes found hers and she faltered at how angry he looked. She instinctively glanced at his hand, and his left one was clenched so tightly it was shaking. She took a breath and went over to him, and he yanked her back out the door back to the alleyway. "Where the fuck were you?"

"The bathroom." She said softly, watching him with wary eyes.

He reached for her hand and she opened her palm without him having to ask and he cursed a string of french curses. "This is bad."

"That's what Kara said and yet, I'm still mostly in the dark."

He yanked a hand through his short hair roughly, snarling darkly. She furrowed her eyebrows and glanced at the ground, and she could practically feel him reign in his temper. "I'm sorry, Sanna, you're right. We need to go somewhere private. Can you tell your parents you'll be home late?"

She pulled out her cell and dialed her home number, letting it ring until her mom picked up. "Hey mom it's me. I'm gonna stay tonight at Kara's... Yeah, she's my size so I can borrow something of hers... Yes mom we'll stay in the house, trust me, her family's more protective than even you can imagine... thanks mom. Love you, bye." She clicked the phone off and smiled at Remi. "We've got all night. I can still go home, I'll just use my key and tell her Kara's sisters were being annoying and not letting us sleep or something."


	8. Chapter 8

He flashed them to a hotel he knew none of his brothers or any other residents used. They checked in and went upstairs in silence, and when they got into the room he watched her walk over to the bed and sit herself primly on the edge of the bed, looking like she was ready to bolt. Not that he could blame her, he was acting like a madman. It was a wonder she hadn't gone running for home when he'd first looked at the telltale mating mark on her hand. He kept his distance for now, trying to calm his racing, furious thoughts. He was mated. He was in love with Becca who was mated to his twin brother and he himself was mated to a young human friend of Kara's. This had to be some sort of sick joke, and he was going to wake up any second to realize he had never met Sanna and his life was a frustrating and unchanging as ever.

She was inspecting her hand, tracing her fingertips down the pattern as she waited to him to decide if he was going to say anything.

"It's called a mating mark." Dammit, he hadn't meant that to come out so snappish.

She looked up in surprise. "A MATING mark? That sounds serious..."

He nodded, rubbing a hand over his face. "Yeah, it is." he said, going quiet again. He wasn't sure how to start explaining what he needed to explain to her. This was beyond a human girl's ability to cope with.

"Kara hinted that it was like, dating or marriage or something like that..." She offered, obviously straining to help him out.

He shrugged. "Sort of. But more serious."

"You can sit. I promise not to bite or anything." She tried to smile, and he realized he was still in the corner of the room, standing legs apart with his arms folded across his chest. He must be frightening her, and despite his anger and frustration at their whole situation, he didn't want to do that to her. This wasn't her fault, and honestly it was probably going to be a lot worse for her than for him. He crossed the room and sat next to her on the bed. "Sorry." He muttered. "So, about mating..." he trailed off again, still not sure where to begin.

"What does it mean, exactly? That we're a good match if we wanted to date or marry or whatever?"

"Not quite." He sighed. "Have you ever read how some birds mate for life?" She nodded. "Well, think of were-hunters like that. Only we don't choose our mates, the Fates do that."

She almost laughed. "The Fates like the three crones past, present, future Goddess kind of Fates?" He nodded and she still choked back a laugh. "And they just sit around deciding who mates to who in the were-hunter world?" He nodded again and her expression fell a little, realizing he was serious. He growled under his breath and clenched his fists. "Yeah, and they just love to screw us all over. I'm sorry you got involved in this."

"So, mates for life, that's what this means?"

He nodded. "Only if you choose though. It's always the female's choice. f you don't want to, the only thing that changes for you is that you can't have children."

She shrugged, unconcerned. "I don't even know if I ever want kids, but what about you? What does it mean for you?"

He clenched his jaw. "I can't ever be with anyone else. For all intents and purposes, I'm a eunuch."

She looked upset about that. "Ever ever?"

"Ever ever." He agreed. "Even if you choose to mate with me, you're the only woman I can ever be with."

"Wow. Talk about an anti-cheating guarantee." She attempted a joke, looking up to meet his eyes. "It'd be a shame to eunuch someone so handsome."

It couldn't possibly be this easy. She reached to touch him, but he scooted away from her, putting a good foot of space between them. "Not yet Sanna. You don't have any clue what you're getting into."

She rolled her eyes. "Because my daimon problem is so infinitesimal."

He almost chuckled. "Compared to some of the things that happen in our world, it is." He managed to surprise her with that one, and he continued. "There's really no good place to start at, so I'm just going to to from the beginning. If you get bored, just deal with it until the end."

She made a playful face at him. "Should I be taking notes? Will there be a test?"

He growled at her, but she was giggling, and he started the story anyway. He didn't know or care about most of the details, but he got the important highlights; the never-ending war between Arcadians and Katagaria, the twelve were-hunter species, Sentinels and Strati (which led to a quick side note about Colt and his irregular loyalty to the Katagari at Sanctuary despite his being a Sentinel plus an extra explaination of the core differences between the human hearted Arcadians and the animal hearted Katagari), a description of limanis like Sanctuary, and finally, the impacts of mates for both designations.

She never did get bored, and by the time he decided he was finished, she was lying on her stomach, her chin propped on her palms as he bright eyes watched him avidly. "So Katagaria, the animals that can turn human, they pretty much just sleep around until they find a mate? Then it's just like, 'oh cool' and business as normal?"

"The women, yes. The men are usually less inclined until they're older and looking to start families or legacies."

She nodded eagerly. "But Arcadians are the humans that can turn animal- which is a very important difference..." she waited for him to nod in confirmation before continuing, "and they're more hesitant about it. They want courtship and wooing and dating?"

"Most do."

"Cool. So back to limanis, so anyone, no matter who they are or what they've done, is safe from the law?"

He nodded even though he could tell she didn't like that very much. "Yes and no. They're safe from anyone who might be looking for them. Sometimes it's the law, sometimes it's an enemy or someone looking to settle a family feud by killin' someone. Most of the weres in Sanctuary are hidin' from someone, but not all are criminals. And some are more complicated than even that. But their stories ain't mine to tell." And honestly, he didn't know most of them. He'd never cared before. She nodded too, looking more at ease, and he couldn't help but add, "But everyone who stays in Sanc abides by the rules. You won't ever be in danger from one of them." He couldn't promise none of the residents wouldn't try to hurt her, but he'd skin anyone who got near her.

She smiled. "Then I'm good. So I know I've asked this already, but I didn't really get a straight answer so; if I say yes to this mating, what does it mean, for you and me specifically?"

He watched her sweet emerald eyes, half wanting her to flee finally, half wanting her back closer to him. "That I'm yours and you're mine." He said, his southern accent thicker than usual.

She nodded slowly. "And how do you feel about that?" She sounded nervous again, and his heart ached at how much she sounded like Becca just then. It literally felt like his heart was being ripped apart all over again.

"I ain't thought about mating, not in a long while, so I don't have an answer for you."

"Well, we have three weeks, right?"

He nodded. He should tell her about Becca, he knew that. But it hurt too much for now. He'd tell her tomorrow, or another day. "That we do." He masked the mark on his hand with his powers and reached for her hand, but she drew her hand to her. "I like mine, though." She protested.

"I don't want the others knowing yet. We have to decide for ourselves what's gonna happen, I don't need them tellin' us what to do." That was a partial lie. Everyone would be able to scent that he was mated, but he didn't want them knowing to to who. Not until he figured out how he felt about Sanna and Becca both, and especially how he felt about them in relation to each other.

She reluctantly nodded and offered him her hand. He masked that mark, too, and stood. "I should get you home."

"It's three in the morning. I'd rather just stay here and go home in the morning. I'll see you at work tomorrow, though." She rolled from her stomach to her back and repositioned herself on the bed.

He didn't want to stay, but he didn't want her going home alone in the morning. That was a recipie for disaster. "You shouldn't be walkin' anywhere alone."

She giggled, and the sound hit him somewhere south. "I'll be fine, Remi. I'll take a cab or something. My tips tonight will cover it."

He shook his head. "I thought you were tryin' to save money, not spend it."

"It's one cab ride, relax."

He moved off the bed and kicked his shoes off, going toward the bathroom. "I'll just stay here. I'll take the floor."

"Remi, you don't have to take the floor-" He shut the bathroom door on her protest and heard her groan. This was going to be an interesting night.


	9. Chapter 9

She couldn't believe he'd actually taken the floor. She'd heard the shower running after he vanished into the bathroom, and once he'd come out, looking even more tempting in just his jeans and no shirt, his hair damp from the shower, he'd simply laid on the floor between the wall and the bed, and she'd debated offering him a spot on the bed, but after a few long minutes of deliberation, she'd just tossed him a pillow and a blanket. He'd growled in response, but hadn't said anything else- though she was waiting, hoping, for him to-, and they'd slowly drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Now she watched as he checked out via the television, and he grabbed her bag and jacket to offer to her. She took them both with a smile that wasn't returned, and they made their way downstairs and to the street again. He took her hand, and for a second she thought it was simply out of affection, but then he pulled her into an alleyway and teleported them to another alleyway and when they stepped out, they were only a block from her house. He walked her to the gate and she hesitated before going in. "Thanks for walking me."

He just nodded curtly. "Yeah."

"I'll see you at work..." She added, opening the gate and taking a step inside.

Another nod. "Yeah."

She frowned. Whatever. If he wanted to be the Were-hunter versions of the asshole that promises to call but never does, who was she to care. "Bye." She snapped, turning to go inside, slamming the gate shut behind her.

He couldn't blame her for her anger. He was acting erratic, he knew that. But he couldn't stop himself. He felt like he could like Sanna, if he gave both of them the chance. She was one of the few people nowadays that made him feel normal again, that didn't make him feel like that stupid twenty year old who lost his lover to his brother. Sanna treated him normally, better than that, even. She treated him like he wasn't a walking volcano, erupting at every little thing. And in return he treated her like a bothersome child; she had more than enough right to be upset with him, and if he wasn't careful, she'd refuse mating with him, killing any chance he actually had at normalcy.

He laughed at himself. Normalcy had left him behind a long, long time ago. He reached the bar and shoved through the doors with no bouncer- the bar wouldn't even open until 11 at the earliest, and that was assuming one of the brothers actually got their asses down to bouncer before noon- and through the bar straight up the stairs to Peltier House. He'd change and eat, and then he'd start to figure out what to do with the newest clusterfuck of his life.

Once he was freshly dressed and fed he felt... absolutely no differently. He still had no idea if his potential affection for Sanna could override the love he'd held onto for Becca for so long. Or if he even wanted it to. He'd imagined what it'd be like to be mated to Becca, to be the DNA in her children, be their father, their protector. And honestly, he'd failed to imagine it. It was only a touch easier these days, with her actual cubs running around looking like her and him- no, not him. Quinn. Looking like her and Quinn- but he still lacked that paternal gene that his father had apparently passed to all of his children but one.

He ran into Dev as his brother was walking out of his and Sam's room, yawning widely. His yawn froze as he caught the scent. He actually looked around for someone other than Remi in the hall before his wide eyes settled on his most volatile brother. "Dude!" Was all he could manage.

Remi snarled and pushed passed him, but Dev trailed him through the halls toward the stairs back down to the bar. "You've gotta be shitting me, you're-"

A louder snarl cut of Dev, who for once in his useless life shut the fuck up and didn't finish his sentence. "Sorry, bro. But seriously? To who?"

"None of your fucking business."

Dev actually looked a little hurt at that one, but Remi couldn't bring himself to care. He reached the stairs, and the still-shirtless Dev didn't follow further as he loped down them. But that didn't stop his final parting shot.

"Too bad. I think you're missing out on something good with that new waitress. She's got a good feel for you."

He almost ran back up the stairs to strangle Dev for being too astute, but he managed to get a reign on his temper and simply stomped back downstairs.

She came up on the door, and spotted... Serre. It was Serre at the door, she was almost positive. Time to test her skills. She skipped up to him and paused with a hopeful grin. "Serre."

He grinned, and she cheered for herself. "Nice call little girl."

"I'm getting pretty good, huh?"

He rolled his eyes and shoved her inside, but he was laughing as he did. "You're a regular Kara. Aren't you late for something?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Not yet I'm not!" She laughed, going inside to greet Kara and Alex and throw a hesitant hello to Duff. He'd been uneasy around her ever since the training session, and he hadn't joined any since. He just came and lingered by Kara in panther form, like Sanna was an enemy to watch for. She wanted to ask Alex what was going on between his sister and his best friend, but she didn't want to cause any trouble for Kara and Duff. It wasn't like they were changing facebook statuses or anything silly, it was just something about the way they lingered near each other sometimes, the way he watched anyone who approached her, little things that made Sanna think there was something there. But if Alex hadn't caught on- poor guy was brilliantly smart, but a little lacking in the right-under-his-nose department, always had been- she wasn't about to rock the boat. And besides, Alex had been more wary about training her ever since, too, so maybe it was simply a precaution the boys had taken upon themselves. The guys around here were notoriously protective of the girls, so it wasn't that much of a stretch.

She shook her head. She was here to work- and maybe try to figure out Remi a little more- not dissect imagined relationships between her friends. She grabbed a tray after greeting everyone and got to work on the fairly slow crowd.

She barely saw Remi all night, just glimpses of him in the kitchen when she went in to retrieve her orders. But she was determined not to be the first to give in, and she didn't say a word to him all night. If he wanted to talk to her instead of being the bi-polar asshole he was this morning, fine. She wasn't about to cave first. Finally, her lack of speaking- well, yelling- with Remi caught Kara's attention, who promptly pulled her aside on her break. She dragged her out the side door to the dumpsters and some spare parking, and propped her hands on her hips. "Ok, what's going on with you and Remi?"

She averted her eyes stubbornly. "He's just... he doesn't want to be stuck with me, Kayray, I can feel it. He's nice and normal one second, then it's like he just doesn't want anything to do with me." She said, looking up at Kara, who seemed to soften a little.

"Aw, girl, it's not like that. I mean, he's a tough cookie, don't get me wrong, I'm a little sorry that of all my uncles you mated to him, but he's got a reason to be like that. Did he tell you about mating and everything? How he feels about it?"

She narrowed her eyes again. She got the sense that Kara was looking for a specific answer, something particular Remi should have told her about. Something that might explain his weirdness. "He told me about Were-Hunters, and about mating in general, but was there something else he should have mentioned?" Kara looked a little uncomfortable, and Sanna groaned, running a had through her hair in frustration. "Kara, what the hell is going on? You can't drag me out here and ask random specific questions and not give me any idea what's going on! That's not fair to me and you know it!"

Kara raked a hand through her own hair, looking uncomfortable. "I know, and I'm sorry, but it's personal stuff of Uncle Remi's and I don't have the right to tell you. He will tell you, I know he will. Until then-"

"I know, I know, go easy on him, cut him some slack-"

"No, I was going to say until then if he's going to act like an ass, don't talk to him. He's the one that loses the most here. He'll come to you, and you get to decide what happens. Until then, just live your life. Train with us. Tomorrow. Alex and I will get covers for our shifts."

"What about Duff?"

Kara gave her a chiding look. "You know he'll be there, too. Where goes Alex, so goes Duff."

Sanna huffed in annoyance, and because she was so annoyed and frustrated that Kara refused to tell her what was going on in her own life, she lashed out at Kara. "Really, because it seems to me it's where goes Kara, so goes Duff." She snapped, stomping back inside and missing the look of terror that crossed Kara's face for a brief second.

She was in a foul mood for the rest of the night, and by the time the night shifters started coming down, there was very little that could improve her mood. Though Trip and Kyle both certainly tried. She laughed and played along with the two men, but it was mostly for show; all she could think about was how weird Remi was acting and the fact that he hadn't so much as looked at her all night.

The Howlers were all downstairs, lingering around, some working, some pretending to, Trip wasn't even bothering to pretend and held a tray in one hand and was reaching to toy with the curls of a random girl who was flirting with him along with a few of her friends. Dev was at the door, having relieved Serre, and Serre himself had disappeared out the door with a pretty woman who had come running downstairs from the boarding house to throw her arms around him excitedly. One of the other quadruplets, the one with sad eyes, was behind the bar, fixing a broken hinge on the door on the right most side, the one that was closest to the kitchen. It was a nice, casual night, and it would have been one of those perfect nights, save for Remi's silence.

A woman came down, as pretty as the other, with dark hair and deep blue eyes, looking around. A dangerous guy- one Kyle said was Jasyn- pointed her down the stairs and she came trotting down the stairs. Sanna didn't pay too much attention to her until she stopped to talk to the sad eyed one- Cherif? Quinn? She knew they were the other two quadruplets but she wasn't as skilled at telling them apart, since she rarely saw either of them- and they conversed for a second. Whatever she told him made him leave the bar and go loping up the stairs, and she turned to follow him, but hesitated and looked back to the kitchen with a longing sort of look as one of the waitresses came out with a tray of food, giving both the unknown girl and Sanna a clear view of Remi at the sink, scrubbing at dishes. The girl paused, holding the door open for another girl to go in and grab her own food, and like he felt them staring at him, he looked up. But it wasn't her he stared back at; it was the unknown girl, and the look that crossed his features was one she was familiar with. It was the same look she'd given to countless upperclassmen, the same look the girls in this bar gave the Howlers while they were onstage, the same look Kara gave Duff when she thought no one was looking.

It was the look of someone pining for someone they can never have.

She felt her heart crack a little, and she set her tray on the table just as he realized she'd been staring at him, too. He set the dish down as the kitchen door closed and she left her tray abandoned on the table and went running for the side door, calling to Kara to tell her aunt that she was taking a quick break. No wonder he didn't want anything to do with her, he was already in love.


	10. Chapter 10

Shit. Shit shit shit shit. He dropped the plate when he saw the look on Sanna's face, and went shoving out the door, almost colliding with Becca. Sanna wasn't on the floor anymore, but there were only a few places she could go before her shift was actually over.

"Remi, I-"

"Not now, Bec." He growled, going past her and to the side door. He didn't have it in him to have a heart-to-heart with Becca before going after Sanna. He pushed out the door and didn't see her right away, but then a sniffling from around the far side of the dumpsters let him know where she was. He went around the dumpsters and there she was, leaning against the brick wall, her arms crossed across her chest, her head tilted down to the ground. He sighed, and she looked up, quickly swiping away the tears that were slowly tracing paths down her cheeks. He felt another pang to his heart, the same one he got when he upset Becca, and he scrubbed a hand across his face. "I'm sorry, Sanna."

She glared at him, her eyes still shining with tears. "Why did you sleep with me if you already loved someone?" She spat accusingly. He didn't answer right away- he really hadn't planned on explaining the whole Becca situation tonight, he'd been hoping he had a few days to figure out how to explain it- and she scoffed a bitter laugh. "No answer, that's what I get. That's bullshit, Remi, and you know it. You and Kara are keeping all sorts of secrets from me, and I guess now I know what the issue was. You know," She pushed off the wall, getting in his face, "Kara's said I should cut you a break, that the situation was complicated. But it's NOT, Remi. It's as simple as you love someone else, you slept with me for god know what reason, and now you're stuck with me. Seems pretty cut and dry to me."

"It's not like that, Sanna-" She groaned and tried to shove past him, but he grabbed her arm to stop her. She wretched her arm out of his grip but didn't go past him. "Sanna, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Becca sooner. But Kara's right, it's a lot more complicated than it seems. But I will explain everything, right now, if that's what you want." He felt himself pleading with her; he couldn't let her walk away not knowing. If she denied him, fine, but she needed to know that it wasn't that he didn't want her.

She refused to look at him. "Can you do it in less than five minutes? I need to go back inside."

"I can't in five. You're off at ten?" She nodded, and he reached for her hand again, but she yanked it out of his reach. He sighed again. "I'll meet you out here at ten. We'll get something to eat and I'll explain everything."

She nodded, and pushed past him. This time he let her go, watching as she went back inside. After a few minutes, he followed, going back inside to the kitchen. Becca was gone, as was Quinn, but Sanna was ducking between tables, clearly within sight. He liked having her within sight. He didn't feel that longing he did for Becca, but there was still that something about Sanna that he couldn't help but like.

That last hour took too long to pass, but finally it was ten, and he tossed his dishcloth to the side and left the kitchen. Et tried to stop him, but he didn't pause to listen to his brother. He'd been lucky so far; no one had been close enough to scent the mating on him, and he's just as soon keep it that way. He shoved through the crowd and out the front door, knowing Sanna would leave through the side door. Dev was at the door, and grabbed his shoulder with a beefy hand. "Where's the fire, frere? We could use you a little longer tonight."

"Not tonight, Dev."

"Going to meet your new lady?"

Remi growled and shoved off Dev's hand. "Don't talk about that." He snarled. He got a quick hold on his temper, and tried to control his tone. "Do you know if Becca knows yet?"

For all his asinine traits, Dev had his moments, and now appeared to be one of them. He let in a couple of girls with a distracted but charming smile, but refocused on Remi as soon as the girls were inside. "I don't think so. For the time being, the bar distracted her from noticing anything, and honestly, even if she does scent it near you, I doubt you're going to be the one she starts looking for a mating mark on." He winced as Remi visibly flinched at that one. "Sorry frere, I didn't mean-"

"Just... make sure she stays in the dark a little longer." He bit his tongue against the sourness of his next word, "Please."

Dev frowned but nodded. He seemed to hesitate for a second, and Remi resisted the urge to leave Dev and go around the corner before Sanna thought he wasn't coming for her. But then Dev glanced back inside. "You know you're gonna have to tell her eventually, right?"

"I'll do it when I do it." He snarled. His patience was out, and he stomped down the street until he was far enough away that he could duck into a corner and flash back to the side alley of the bar. He arrived in the alley and didn't see Sanna right away. "Sanna?" No answer. Shit, did she already leave? "Sanna." He said a little louder, getting worried.

She stepped out from behind Kyle's Jeep, smiling wryly at him. "You're late. I almost thought you weren't coming."

He went right over to her, but refrained from touching her. It'd just annoy her. "I got caught up. If I say I'll be there for you, I'll be there. I swear, Sanna."

"Swear to someone who's not pissed at you. Where are we going to discuss your shitload of secrets?"

He flashed them right down Chartres, near Irene's. Once they'd arrived, he gestured her out of the alley, and they went into Irene's. It was a nice little Italian place, one he thought she might like. The other females in Sanctuary did, it stood to reason she might, too. She refused to walk very close to him, and they got a seat in the back corner of the restaurant, where she ordered her food with a sweet smile to the waiter that turned to an unimpressed frown when she looked back at him as the waiter left. "So. I'm waiting."

He took a breath, and just started talking. Who knew if it was going to come out right; he'd tried to wait and see where that got him. May as well just wing it from here. "Becca, the woman from earlier, she and I used to be together. She was... she was everything to me, and I loved her more than I'd ever loved anyone." The pain on Sanna's face cut him, but he forced himself to keep talking. "I didn't talk about her with anyone in my family, even though I wasn't as pissed all the time as I am now, I wasn't ever a big sharer. One night, her first night in heat," he paused, ready to explain, but she was nodding in understanding so he skipped it; she probably remembered from their hotel talk, "she came looking for me. We'd talked about mating, talked about a family, all that shit. She just wanted to mate to me, it's what most Were-Hunter females want. And she thought she'd found me, and went to bed, but..." he swallowed against the bitterness on his tongue. "but it wasn't me she'd found, it was Quinn, one of my twin brothers." He paused, taking a second to collect himself as the waiter delivered their appetizers. Once the boy was gone again, he went on.

"It's not Quinn's fault, really. As much as I hate him and as much as I envy him, even I know it wasn't his fault. He didn't know how I felt about her, and he didn't know it was me she was looking for. But by the time she realized what had happened, and by the time she told Quinn the truth about her and I, it was too late. The marks appeared and she was gone to me for good."

The unimpressed look was gone, replaced with- not pity, as he'd expected- but unhappiness and a little anger. "Remi. I-" she laughed another wry little laugh. "I'm sorry sounds stupid, but I don't have anything better to offer."

He shook his head. "It's fine. No one's got anythin' better to offer either, if it makes you feel any better."

She looked like she was about to ask something else, but the moment passed without her saying anything, and the waiter was back to take the empty appetizer plates. Remi waited again until he was gone to speak, but she beat him to it. "So there's nothing you or Becca can do to like, appeal it?"

He laughed harshly. "Naw. Besides, she's got three kids with Quinn now. She wouldn't leave them."

"Three kids that probably look a lot like you, since Quinn's your twin..."

He clenched his jaw. "It's not somethin' I like thinking about."

She nodded and looked away, at the other diners. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes, then she looked back at him. "That doesn't really answer my first question. If you're so in love with her, why sleep with me?"

He shrugged, opting for honesty. "Because you're the first person in a long while that doesn't treat me like I'm fuckin' broken or something because of the whole Becca situation. I like how I feel around you."

"At least when I'm not yelling at you in the kitchen, right?" She had a playful smile teasing her lips, and he felt an answering one crossing his own. "Even then, chere. No one yells back. My family annoys the shit out of me, but even they keep their distance most times."

"Look, I get that you're not over Becca and you have every right not to be, but I'm going to just come clean right now. I don't love you right now, and I know you don't love me, but I do like you, and you seem to like me well enough, so in my opinion, going through with-" she glanced around like someone was going to hear them, and he felt himself soften further toward her, "this whole thing, isn't the worst option ever. Unless you're like, dead against it, which I'd totally underst-" she rushed to cover and he let out a breath of laughter and reached to lay his hand over hers on the table to stop her rambling.

"I appreciate that, Sanna, and you're right, I do like you. But like we talked about, you've got no real idea what you're getting into agreeing to this. I think it's better we wait."

She looked a little offended, and he wondered what the fuck he'd said now. "You know, for a guy on the verge of being eunuch-ed, you're surprisingly unenthusiastic about this."

He shrugged again, and he felt her agitation growing. "It's nothin' to do with you, chere. It's just, I ain't slept with another girl who meant anything before you since Becca, and needless to say, the thought of not sleeping with another girl don't really scare me all that much. So I'd rather not get you involved in my shit until you've got a real idea what being a Peltier might mean for you.

She raised a hand to the waiter, and once he'd come over she sweetly asked for the check. He asked if everything was alright, and she nodded him off, stating she hadn't been feeling well and coming out hadn't been the best idea. He watched her play the waiter with a raised eyebrow until the kid walked away and she turned back to him. "I feel weird talking about this in here. Too many people. We can walk somewhere private, if that's ok with you?"

"You already got our check, so sure."

She looked abashed, and he forced a laugh. "It's fine by me, Sanna."

He paid and they left. "By the water?" She asked, and he nodded. They walked in silence as they passed the crowds in Latrobe park, down St Phillip and down Peter St until they could go down by the water. Once away from the crowds, she paused and leaned against the railings, her back to the water, her eyes on him. "So being a Peltier. I doubt I'm really going to get a sense of it in three weeks, so tell me about being a Peltier. Kara seems to do just fine, and Alex. I'm sure they could help me."

"They got Were abilities and advantages. It won't be the same for you."

"Then TELL me what to be prepared for, Remi. Jesus, I'm trying to work with you and you seem determined to resist any sort of help!" She snapped, folding her arms crossly across her chest, glaring at him.

He felt his temper snap, and he snarled at her. "Fine. First lesson, everyone outside Sanctuary has a bone to pick with us. Arcadians hate us because our mother was Katagaria and so are some of us, most figure it's all of us and we let them keep thinking that. Truth is some of us are Arcadian, and Katagaria hate us because we house the Were's they're after. Sentinels killed my two older brothers in cold blood and have killed my baby sister Aimee if my brothers hadn't hidden her so well. Aimee's mated to a wolf that has a target the size of Texas on his head, and the things Katagaria do to their enemies, and the mates of them, makes horror films you watch seem like child's play. Arcadians are just as bad, and they like to justify their cruelty to you as they hand you off to whoever wants a piece. Aimee's mate's in line with a guy who may or may not be working either with or against the devil himself and that puts the rest of us in the sights of any demons looking to settle scores with him. Demons don't give a shit about limani's, remember that. The daimons after you don't normally cause problems unless their bossman, Stryker, gets involved, in which case their orders are usually kill everyone and everything in their sights. You will NOT win a fight against anyone I just mentioned. You feeling as open to being one of us now, human girl?"

She was staring at him with her jaw dropped, and at the fear in her eyes he felt bad for scaring her, but she needed to know what she was so easily agreeing to. But then a second passed, and the fear was replaced with anger. "Fine, Remi, you've scared me, congratulations. And now I'm done being scared and we're back to the same issue."

"Vous êtes donc impossible c'est incroyable." [You are so impossible it is unbelievable.] He snarled.

"Prend un pour connaître un." [Takes one to know one.] She snapped back, stomping off down the walk. He followed after her, growling to himself. She was seriously determined to get herself killed, this girl.

"You aren't taking this seriously-"

"I'm taking it seriously for gods' sake! I'm just also taking it seriously the seriously serious impact it's going to have on both our lives. Serious enough for you?!" She spun on him, throwing her hands in the air.

"Fine." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I get it. You're taking it seriously. But that doesn't mean you're ready for it. We'll give it two weeks and decide then, ok? Can you agree to that, at least?"

She seemed to consider that, and nodded. "I can agree to that."

"Good. Now can we stop with the yelling? You're making it hard to want to be around you." He said, laughing when she got that offended look again. "I'm kidding, chere."

She burst into giggles and smacked his arm. "Ass."

"That I am. You're catching on." He said. She took his hand and drew him along with her, lingering close but not pressing his boundaries.


	11. Chapter 11

They tested each other the next week, and nothing interesting happened. They ate dinners, and he caught her sneaking looks at him from the floor, which never failed to make him smile, though he was quick to hide it lest anyone else see. Then one night, he saw caught a glimpse of Dev chatting with Sanna, and a few minutes later, Dev came slamming into the kitchen, glaring at Remi. "You. Me. Outside. Now."

Fuck.

Remi slammed the dish down and started muttering in French, but he followed Dev out to the side alley, where Dev turned on him. "You fucker, you mated to Kara's human friend!" Dev looked like he was about to laugh or about to groan. "I don't get why you're hiding it, man. She's a cute little firecracker." Remi snarled and Dev just laughed. "She is, you of all guys must get that. Why hide it? I know you can't see from the kitchen, but she gets a lot of attention, man." Another, darker snarl from Remi and Dev gave him a knowing look.

"I seen that look, frere. Hell, I've GIVEN that look to dipshits that think they'll be starin' after Sam. I know she ain't Becca, Rem, but she's a sweet little thing, and she likes you. A lot. Maybe enough to go through with it if you tell her the truth." He watched Remi for a second, and when he didn't respond, Dev laughed loudly. "Holy shit, you already told her didn't you?"

Remi shrugged, getting defensive. "I didn't much have a choice, did I?"

"Well now you sure don't. What'd she say?"

"Apparently she was already aware that we're not exactly human, thanks to Alex and Kara and that whole thing with Gautier. She's... not saying no."

"Then what's the holdup?"

"She's human, moron. She wouldn't last a few weeks."

"I think you're underestimating her."

"I think you're a braindead asshole, but you don't see me bragging about it." He snarled, going back inside. He paused inside the door, his eyes narrowing. Sanna was at a table, laughing with a group of people. Two girls and three boys, one of which was leaning too close for his liking. Sanna reached up to tighten her ponytail, and the boy's eyes followed the movement of her hands, dropping for a second to her chest, and back up to her eyes before she could catch him. Remi snarled, and his mood only darkened as he listened to the guy as he leaned even closer to her, practically touching her.

"Hey Sanna, we're going dancing after this, why don't you come with us once you're off?"

She smiled sweetly, but shook her head. "No thanks, David. I've got plans after work."

He rolled his eyes, like he'd heard that excuse a few times by now. "Come on, babe, that mysterious, nameless 'boyfriend' you keep talking about?" He scoffed, and the rest of the table laughed with him. Remi felt a weird pang as Sanna's smile turned a little strained. He was the cause of that strain. He was the reason she could only talk about a mysterious, nameless boyfriend, because he refused to let her talk about him. "When are you going to stop playing me and finally come out with us?" David asked, gesturing to him and his friends. The other two guys had lost interest, but the girls were watching, waiting to see what Sanna would say.

"When you learn to take a hint, Davey." She said, trying to sound light and teasing, and the girls laughed with her but David looked annoyed. He reached for her hand, which she quickly drew away from him, but his grip must have been tight, because he was still holding her wrist as she pulled away. With that movement, Remi's temper snapped for good and he stalked over to the table and grabbed David's wrist, pulling it off Sanna's almost hard enough to break it. "Remi!" She squealed in surprise as David pulled at his hand. "Hey man, let go!"

"Since you can't take a hint, here's an order; stay the fuck away from Sanna, got it?"

The guy nodded, looking more frightened as he realized he couldn't pull his wrist from Remi's grip. Remi let his wrist go, and reached to usher her away from the table and back to the bar. "You ok?"

She was trying to bite back a wide smile. "I'm fine, overreact-er. He was just hitting on me. I can handle some innocent flirting."

"I can't." He said, leaning in to kiss her on the lips in full sight of the bar. When he pulled away, she was staring at him in shock, a pleased and slightly dazed smile pulling at her lips. "If he touches you again, I'm breaking his fuckin' arm." He snapped, going back into the kitchen. He felt better, surprisingly. Better than he had in a long fucking time.


	12. Chapter 12

She snapped closed her hanging jaw, and went back to work like nothing unusual had happened, despite Kara's gleeful laugh from across the bar, Alex's disbelieving stare, and the rest of the shocked and strange looks from the rest of the staff. She dropped her order in the kitchen and went out to check her tables, but was stopped by a familiar, guffawing laugh. "Well now THAT was interesting."

She smiled smugly to herself. "Hello Dev."

"It's about damn time he went public, don't you think?"

She turned to see him choking back laughter, and she laughed with him. "How long have you known?"

"About five minutes that it was you. A week that he was mated."

"Wow, you've pretty much known the entire time then. Congrats to you."

"Andrea!" Dev called another waitress, and told her to take David's table, then turned back to Sanna. "So what do you have to say about all this? I hear you were already a little hip to our super secret thanks to your friends, and Rem filled in the blanks after that."

She shrugged. She didn't want to get Kara or Alex in trouble. "I'm fine with the whole thing. I mean, it's a little... forever, and all, but I can think of worse people to be in this particular situation with."

"Well aren't you a little forward thinker? I said it before and I'll say it again; Rem's lucky to have a fille like you looking out for him."

"I said it before and I'll say it again too; I'm the lucky one, Dev. I've got work to do. Extra, now that you've given away a five-top of tips. Thanks for that!" She called laughingly, going back out to the floor.

Once Sanna was gone for the night and Remi was finished, he came out to the bar to a lot of questioning looks. He sighed and unmasked his mark but didn't stop for questions as he went to the stairs for Peltier House. Kyle and Trip came after him, while he heard Dev's loud belly laugh behind him. "Rem, man, how long you been seeing the new waitress?"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I've been trying after her for weeks now, a little warning would have been nice!"

Remi snarled, turning on Kyle. "You so much as /look/ at her wrong, and I'll skin you cub, got that?"

Kyle skittered back a step, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, I get it, Rem."

Trip laughed, punching Kyle's arm. "So answer the big question. How long you been- DUDE!" They were in Peltier House, no smells of the bar to distract from the fact that he was mated, and Kyle and Trip both froze mid steps. "You're fucking mated!"

"And you're a fucking genius." He growled, slamming in the door to the house. Kyle groaned loudly behind him.

"I've been flirting with your MATE. Stryker would have had more pity on me than you if you'd seen me. Jeez Rem! These kind of things you've gotta tell a guy! BEFORE he loses limbs!"

Remi ignored him and slammed into his room, leaving Trip and Kyle to go spread the news. Once he was sure they were away from his door, he left again and went to the nursery. It was where Becca could be found about 20 hours out of the day, unless she and Quinn were out with their kids. He peeked in but didn't go all the way in; the caretakers didn't like him around the kids too often, not that he blamed them. He didn't want to be around the kids all that often either. Messy, noisy, annoying little shits, most of them. He spotted Becca and for the first time in years, he called out to her. "Becca."

She turned, surprised, and waved to the caretakers that she was going, and came to the door. "Remi. This is a pleasant surprise." She said, looking hopeful. She'd been trying for years to get them to some sort of middle ground, where they didn't hate each other; ok, where he didn't hate her and Quinn. But so long as that pity was still in her eyes, he'd always feel the same. He shook his head, focusing on the matter at hand. By raising his hand, actually, showing her the mark. Her happy smile fell faster than he'd have though possible, and with some effort, she forced it back. "Wow. That's, uhm.. wow. Who?"

"The new waitress downstairs. Sanna."

"Kara's friend." He couldn't tell how she felt about that, she was carefully masking her emotions from him. Too bad, he'd have appreciated some sign that he wasn't the only one in a inner turmoil. He felt like his heart was free falling from his chest down to his feet. Add that to the sickness assaulting his stomach and the raging headache that popped up out of no where, and he'd have sworn he'd contracted a plague of some sort. But no, it was just raging guilt at the fake smile on Becca's lips. Lips he'd once had the right to kiss whenever he wanted.

He nodded. "Yeah. Kara's friend."

"Well... she's a, a lucky girl. I have to- my kids need me, I promised them," she was babbling as she turned to escape the conversation, "that we'd watch a movie today, I shouldn't be gone too long. I'm very happy for you Remi." She said in parting, turning to go back into the nursery, a hand over her face, hiding tears. He knew that movement, he'd seen it countless times in their past. She'd always tried to hide her emotions, mostly for him. He had a tendency to destroy anything that bothered her, and she didn't like causing controversy. He stood there a few minutes longer, even after she closed the door behind her, until he could move his legs again. Once he could, he went back to his room. He and Sanna had plans tonight, but he couldn't go through with them. Not now. He pulled out his cell and pressed 1 on his speed dial. The only number currently on his speed dial.

"Hey. I'm just dropping my stuff off at my house then I'll be ready." Her voice came over the line, along with the noises of tossing bags and other things onto surfaces. Normal getting home things, he guessed.

"I can't tonight Sanna. I'm sorry." He managed a fairly even tone, so her response was surprising.

"Are you ok?" She asked, and he heard the bustle in the background go quiet, like she'd stopped whatever she was doing. "If it's about tonight, we still don't need to own up to it, I'm sure we can explain it away-"

"It's not that Sanna. I already told some of them. I just can't come out tonight."

She went quiet for a few long seconds, then, "You told Becca."

He looked at the phone in surprise. "Yeah."

He could almost hear her nod over the phone. "Ok. That's fine. Will I see you at work tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, then. I hope you feel better, Remi."

He struggled to keep his composure. Her acceptance of his mental issues was more than he could handle right now. "Merci, cherie."

"Au revoir."

He hung up the phone, staring at it even after the screen went dark. He wanted to call her back and take it back. But that was just the loneliness and the all too familiar rejection talking. He didn't want to use Sanna as an escape. That was what got them into this shitstorm in the first place. It wasn't fair to her to keep being his crutch. His temper crackled again and he chucked the phone across the room, breaking it into a dozen little pieces. It didn't make him feel any better, but he hadn't really expected it to. He just needed something to break.


	13. Chapter 13

She was annoyed. And she felt bad for being annoyed, but there was no getting around it; she was. She knew it wasn't fair to Remi to be mad about the fact that he had baggage, and she wasn't mad about that. Ok, maybe she was a little mad about that. She knew he deserved the right to get over Becca in his own time but she hated the feeling of competing for his attention.

She groaned to herself, making a decision. She text Kara to call her to go train, but after about 10 minutes, her patience ran out and she gave up waiting. She dressed for a run, and climbed out her window with a practiced step. She knew it wasn't the smartest move, going out alone with a target on her, but she needed some sort of outlet, and if she didn't get to go out with Remi tonight, she'd just have to go out on her own. She left the yard and started running, the steady thrum of her shoes hitting the ground soothing her back to normal.

She'd been running for about 20 minutes when she got the odd feeling of being watched. She slowed a little, trying to look around without being obvious and bent down to tie her already tied shoe, waiting for someone to make a move. She heard the light, quick steps of running feet and glanced behind her to see three figures running for her, only a few paces behind her. She immediately jumped up and took off at a dead run, pulling her cell off it's armband and dialed Remi. It went straight to voicemail and she cursed. Next she tried Kara. It rang but eventually went to voicemail too. "Seriously people?!"

Her last hope was Alex, but the gruff, annoyed voice that came over the line was definitely not Alex. "Alex's phone, the fuck do you want?"

"Duff?! Where the hell is Alex I need backup here!"

She heard him groan. "Where are you?"

She glanced at a passing street sign. "St. Phillip and Robertson!"

There was a dial tone and she cursed again. She was starting to get tired and she didn't know how much longer she could keep up a full run. Damn daimons and their stamina. Suddenly, a figure stepped out of an alley right in front of her, cloaked in shadows. "Gods dammit!" She tried skidding to a stop to duck down another corner, but at the last second she recognized Remi. He reached out and she grabbed his hand as she came up to him and he pulled her behind him, turning back to the daimons, who slowed to a stop a few paces away. "There a fucking problem here?"

She recognized Amaranda now that she wasn't running for her life, and the woman took a few steps forward. "I'm getting tired of you interfering in my business Were-Hunter."

"Great, because I'm getting tired of you showing up in my life so often. So why don't you fuck off and we'll be done."

"Not until the human girl and I settle our dispute."

"I'm settlin' it for you, right now. Fuck off before my patience with you runs out."

Suddenly, arms grabbed Sanna and she shrieked in surprise, making Remi look back to her and offering Amaranda the chance to pounce on Remi, leaving Sanna to fight the daimon who's arms had her. She felt that now-familiar sharpness overcome her, and she reached back, grabbing a dagger just as it came for her side. She felt the blade slice her skin, but there wasn't as much pain as she was expecting, and she gripped the blade and yanked it out of the daimon's hands, turning on him and stabbing him directly in the throat. He gurgled in surprise, and she yanked it out and stabbed him in the heart, and he dissipated into dust. She heard Remi fighting behind her and she turned to help, but he dissipated another daimon, which Amaranda took as another escape and vanished again. Remi turned to her and his deadly look immediately vanished when he saw the blood dripping steadily from her hand. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." She said, and the weird thing was, she was fine. She felt the pain, but it was more a stinging paper cut kind of pain than anything she'd have expected from a dagger slice. He took her hand and inspected it, cleaning the blood from her hand with his shirt and manifesting a bandage to wrap around it. She tried protesting the damage to his shirt, but he refused to let go of her hand until it was clean of blood and properly wrapped. Only then did he let go of her hand, only to surprise her for the second time that night and pull her to his chest, his arms around her. "I'm sorry Sanna, I broke my phone, I should have been there to answer it."

She knew it was only a reaction to being attacked, but she still pounced on the affection while it was happening and hugged him back tightly. "It's ok, you got here, that's what matters."

His arms didn't loosen around her, but she felt the shake of his head. "Naw, it's not. Your parents are probably expectin' you home, right?"

She blushed, not meeting his eyes. "They... don't know I sneak out sometimes..."

He pulled back from her and the anger was back. "You snuck out of the house to go running around New Orleans by yourself while no one knew where you were?"

"I didn't say it was the smartest thing I've ever done!"

He growled, raking a hand through his hair. "Let's get you home, then tell your parents you're goin' out of town for some interviews. You'll stay in Peltier House. Can't have you running off to go get killed every damn time no one's lookin' out for you."

"Don't you think that's going to be a little awkward?"

"There are guest rooms. Don't worry, I ain't putting you up in my room."

Too bad. She didn't voice it, but the thought was definitely there. "I meant with me and Becca both being in the house."

"We'll find a way to deal. We've had worse than this in the house. I've just never had to bother with it before. C'mon, we gotta get you home."


	14. Chapter 14

She'd made all the arrangements. She told her parents that she was going back to Washington for some interviews, that she was staying with a college friend up there and she may stay a little longer to see her old college friends. She'd told Janelle, her friend up in Washington, to cover for her and planned on having her phone on her all the time. And with that major lie, she was free of her parents for at least a couple weeks and she moved into Peltier House as per Remi's request, though it was less a request and more an order. But she understood his worry, so it didn't sting her pride like she'd have expected it to.

She really liked Peltier House. Aside from the general crankiness of the of the other Were-Hunters that lived there, it was a really nice, family atmosphere. Her parents were sweet enough, but she and they always seemed to tow the line of familial affection and discomfort. She wasn't affectionate as a general rule- her weird fascination with touching Remi notwithstanding- and neither were her parents. But in Peltier House, even though most of the affection was via manly punches and sharp tongued insults, there was a definite camaraderie.

Kara was thrilled to have her there, and had apparently petitioned to kick her sister Jojo out of their shared room so she could share with Sanna, but had been overruled by her father. She knew it was selfish and probably way out of line, but in addition to becoming closer to Remi, Sanna was hoping to figure out what sort of secrecy was going on between Kara and Duff.

She didn't figure much out in that department, but she was getting a better read on Remi as days passed. They'd pass each other in the halls, they'd meet up in the kitchen and have meals together, but it wasn't so much what she learned from him in those moments, but rather what she learned from those around them in those moments. He wasn't really a part of the camaraderie. He was kind of an outsider. It hurt her a little to see the other laughing and joking around with each other while Remi sat silently to the side with his usual glare.

It was even worse when Becca was around. She'd started to be able to tell Cherif and Quinn apart, enough to realize that the reaction wasn't as bad when it was Quinn in the room, save for the sad, sorrowful look Quinn got every time he so much as glanced at Remi. But when Becca came into the same room, the entire room seemed to pause for the slightest second, then pick up again at a faster pace, as though trying to make up for the awkwardness. Everyone was careful not to glance at either Remi or Becca for too long, save Dev, who didn't seem to feel the same awkwardness as the others, though whether he actually didn't feel the tension or whether he just didn't care she couldn't really tell.

She tried to stay inconspicuous during those times, but she was starting to think that was the wrong way to handle it. So today, her official fifth day in the house- and almost to the two week mark in the mating countdown-, she decided to try something different. There was a party starting at ten; one of the Kattalakis wolves had gotten mated and Vane and Fang had asked to have a party. She was serving that night, so she'd be there when the party started, and likely when Becca and Quinn would come down. She was clearing her tables alongside Kara when a raucous group of dangerous looking guys came in. She recognized Vane, Fang, Fury, Keegan- who had a pretty blonde on his arm, and Liam- who couldn't stop kissing the dark haired, slightly intense looking woman next to him- and she smiled. Looked like the party was about to start. Et and Dev started clearing out the human clientele while Kara and Aimee started bringing out food for everyone. She watched Dev carefully, looking for signs that he was annoyed with her. She'd cornered him earlier today during one of his breaks upstairs, wanting some answers that had been bugging her.

"Hey Dev." She greeted, following him into the kitchen and looking around for anyone else. He looked up with a smile.

"Well hey there human girl. What can I do ya for?" He asked, gesturing to the fridge he'd just opened. She looked down at her hands, picking at her cuticles, but before she garnered up the courage to ask, Dev whistled low.

"I know that look, petit. What's on your mind?" He said, sitting at the kitchen table and waving her to sit down too.

"Look, I know that even though I'm staying here I'm not really a part of the Peltiers but there's something that's really been bugging me and it's going to sound totally out of line-"

"Spit it out, girl."

"Do you think it's weird that Becca mistook Quinn for Remi?" She blurted, wincing when Dev's jaw dropped in surprise. "I'm sorry, I know it's none of my-"

"Relax, cherie, I'm not mad, I just... it ain't really somethin' we talk about much." He said, his accent growing thicker as he got more uncomfortable. Remi had the same tic. She stayed silent while he debated his answer. Finally he sighed. "I don't think any o' us really know what happened. Rem didn't ask when it happened, didn't pin any blame on her or Quinn, and Quinn wouldn't have the nerve to question her love for Rem. Bec ain't very forthcoming about the mix up or what she was thinking, and none o' us ever asked flat out. We just tried to move forward." He peered at her. "Why so curious?"

She shrugged. "I mean, I didn't know you guys then, but I look at you now and yeah, you have the same features, but the longer I've been around you the more different you are. If I was dating one of you and around you all the time, I couldn't imagine mistaking one for another unless I wasn't ever around them. But Remi... she was around him a lot, I'd imagine. I don't want to sound condescending or anything, please don't mistake my intentions, but... I can't think of anything that would make me go to one of you instead of him and not realize it. Maybe if I was upset I'd run to you or Quinn or Cherif instead, but I like to think I'd realize my mistake pretty quickly. You guys just... you don't FEEL the same, if that makes sense. Not like, sexually, but like, your vibes, your personalities."

Dev was looking at her with a hard to read expression, but without another comment, he stood and back was the usual playful smile. He kissed her forehead and went back to the door between the bar and the house. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Sanna banana."

She groaned loudly as he left. Gods DAMN that nickname.

Dev looked up like he felt her watching him and rolled his eyes when he spotted her. 'Relax.' he mouthed, wiggling his eyebrows at her to make her laugh. Once she had, he went back to ushering people out.

Feeling better, she went upstairs to tie her hair in a half updo and change her clothes, and skipped back down the stairs, going over to Kara and joining her conversation with Alex, Duff, and Jojo. She watched Remi come out of the kitchen, hanging his apron on the hook by the sink and brushing off his shirt when he saw that she'd changed. She smiled at him, losing track of the conversation as she watched him go to get himself a drink. Tuning back in for a second, she touched Kara's arm. "I'll be right back." She whispered. Kara rolled her eyes and shoved her toward the bar, and she went over, leaning over the bartop where Remi was. "Hey."

He looked up, a smile barely tugging the edges of his lips. "Hey."

"Mind grabbing me a coke, too?"

He did so and handed it over the bar to her, and she leaned forward quickly to land a kiss on his cheek, falling back on her feet with a pleased, smug smile on her face. "Thanks."

The tugging brought an actual, if small, smile, and her own smile grew. "You want some food, too?" He asked in that rough voice of his, and she nodded. He came out from behind the bar and she followed him over to the food. She'd just gotten a plate ready when Colt's voice over the mic said her name and she focused, looking up at him and the other Howlers.

"We heard you have a voice, little girl. Come on up and show it off." He grinned, and she shot Remi a look like 'what the hell?' and he shrugged, looking as annoyed and confused as she felt. She looked around and her gaze landed on Kara, who looked entirely too smug, and she shot a glare at her. Not that it did anything, Kara just laughed and nodded to the stage.

"You don't have to do this. They'll get over it if you don't. They're just trying to fuck with me." Remi's voice whispered in her ear and she looked to him. Trying to fuck with him? She narrowed her eyes. "Is that what you think?" She whispered back, smiling deviously. "Fine by me." She said, setting her plate down and marching up to the stage. She whispered to Colt and the others, and gave them her iPod for them to listen to a song, which- to her immense surprise, both Angel and Colt already knew- and she set herself at the mic. She took a breath and braced herself for Remi to flip out at what she was about to do, but then the familiar strings of Jessica Harp's "Boy Like Me" played, and she tried to relax. She hit her stride after the first verse, and as Remi's expression went from surprised to annoyed to pleased and finally settling on a funny mix of him trying to look annoyed as a smile played on his lips, she felt herself grinning into the mic.

"You're the kinda boy my daddy used to warn would walk into my life and lead me down the wrong way... I'm the kinda girl who tried hard to ignore those things that daddy warned about those kinda boys... Well what's a girl to do with a big old boy like you, when we sit around and talk about those things we just can't talk about, like making love and drinking 'til the sun comes up..." The bar cheered her on and she preened in the spotlight as Colt and Trip catcalled her from their instruments. Maybe this singing in public thing wasn't so bad after all.

Becca didn't come all the way down just yet, but rather stayed half hidden at the top of the first flight of stairs, watching not the girl on stage, but the man watching her with that same reluctantly adoring look he used to give her. Just the sight of that bitten back smile was enough to make her want to cry. She still loved him so much, and no amount of being with Quinn or love for her children would ever compensate for the guilt of mistaking Quinn for her Remi.

She still tried to keep things friendly between them, but it was an all or nothing thing for Remi. But she'd known that, back when they first started being serious with each other. It was one of the things she'd loved so much about him. She turned her gaze to the human girl prancing around on stage, showing off for Remi and the rest of the bar, howling into the mic as though she thought she was a star. She frowned. Remi deserved better than some snarky little human teenager. He deserved someone older, and sweet, and loving. Not a smart ass who yelled at him when he was upset. The girl just-

"Don't do this, Becs."

She turned in surprise to see Dev standing behind her. He must have spotted her and flashed. "What?"

"I see the way you're staring them down. And if Remi sees it, it's gonna ruin his entire fucking night. Which you know as well as I do."

"I'm not looking at them any particular wa-" Dev suddenly stepped further into her space, his permanently playful expression gone stoic, a lethal growl rumbling in his throat. She tried to step back, but met the railing. She'd never seen him like this, and certainly never to a female.

"Don't bullshit me, Becca. I get that you didn't mean for this whole situation to turn out like it did, I really do. But I've gotten a new respect for what Remi goes through every day having to see you around, and I'm tellin' you right now, if you fuck with his and Sanna's relationship, you and I are gonna have problems."

She sniffed at him, a soft growl rising in response. "If their relationship is so wonderful, what does you worry about me for?"

"You and I both know he's not over you. Mating to someone else isn't going to erase those feelings in two weeks. And we both also know if he sees you standing here, staring longingly at him and glaring jealously at Sanna, he's gonna put that wall up again between him and Sanna, and he's gonna get to the third week and then he's gonna be alone for good, permanently. Is THAT what you want for him, Bec?"

She felt tears pooling in her eyes, but still she shook her head. "I love him Dev."

"Then love him enough to let him be happy, Becca. He deserves that after this long."

"I'm going upstairs, I'm not in a partying mood." She snapped, turning to leave. Before she left, she turned around and pinned him with a venomous glare. "And for your information, I was a little distracted by my first time being in heat, thank you very much. You can tell that bitchy little human THAT next time she talks about me." She said, slamming upstairs.


	15. Chapter 15

Thrilled. Ecstatic. Delighted. Sanna was all that and more after her little show last night. She'd not only coaxed a smile out of Remi, but it hadn't completely faded all through the night. Becca never had come down, but Quinn had, and even he'd relaxed seeing Sanna and Remi together.

However, tonight was not last night, and after another night of yelling in French about those damned dishes he never seemed to move that she'd knocked over- again- she was up in her room, pacing back and forth. Their yelling had taken a decidedly flirtatious/violent- a strange combination that never failed to turn her on- turn lately, and she was stuck in debate mode, wondering if it'd be too forward to go to his room tonight. She was tired of being stuck in a guestroom at the end of the hall. Something tugged her to Remi's side and she was tired of ignoring it. It seemed the madder she was, the more they yelled and shouted at each other, the more she was drawn to him.

She groaned and got up, padding barefoot and barely dressed in only a long sleep shirt and a pair of shorts to Remi's door and knocking. She heard him snarling and growling inside and when the door opened, he paused for a second, obviously having not expected her. She stood with an eyebrow raised, taking in his current shirtless state, waiting for him to decide if he was going to let her in. She didn't have long to wait as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside, shutting the door behind her and pressing her to it once it was firmly shut. She didn't so much as have time to react before his lips were on hers, his growl still rumbling deep in his chest. She rose to meet his kiss, grabbing him by the waistband of his sweats, pulling him flush against her.

He growled again, lifting her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist, pressing against him with an fervid edge to her motions. "Vous êtes impossible." [You are impossible.] He growled against her lips, to which she responded by nipping his lip a little harder than strictly necessary. He turned and walked a few paces until he untangled her legs from him and tossed her to the bed. She squeaked in indignation, but that was all she was able to do as he followed her to the bed, another kiss hot on the heels of his last.

* * *

She woke up a couple hours later, still on Remi's bed, his arm slung casually across her hips. She watched him for a few minutes, smiling to herself, then slipped out from under his arm and got up out of bed to go to the bathroom and shower. She felt better, more at peace now, and she let the hot water soothe her sore muscles. She left the bathroom to see Remi still sleeping on the bed, and she felt a rush of pleased pride hit her. She liked that he was comfortable enough with her to sleep in her presence. She sat on the edge of the bed and softly shook his shoulder. He came awake with a growl that quieted when he saw her, and went completely quiet as he reached for her. "Sorry." He muttered softly as she let herself be pulled back to his side.

She laughed and nuzzled his chest. "Don't be. I like your growling, it makes you you." She was rewarded with a rare smile and a kiss. She smiled against his lips, but eventually pulled away. "It's my day off, so I'm going to go for a run."

"By yourself?"

"That was the plan, yeah." He scowled, and she laughed and leaned back in to kiss his nose, then crawled off the bed and stood. "Quit worrying so much. I've got my phone, I'll be fine."

"You haven't been training with Kara and Alex lately." He said, still scowling.

"I'll be FINE." She insisted, heading to the door. "I'm going to change, I'll come back and say goodbye before I leave." She slipped out the door and back to her room, only passing Justin who was in panther form and she couldn't tell if he was giving her a weird look or not. She changed into running capris and a t-shirt, slipping on her tennis shoes and going back to Remi's room as she tied her hair in a ponytail. She knocked and came in at the sound of Remi's growl, rolling her eyes as she came in and his growl didn't subside. "It's a run, not a quest." She pointed out. "I'll be back within the hour and see," she held out her arm so he could see the iPhone in it's armband on her arm, "I have a lifeline and everything."

"Aimee got me a new phone so call me if anything feels out of place."

"I will, worrywart." She said, going to his side to rise up on her tiptoes and kiss his cheek, despite the fact that the door was open. He held back a smile and she went back out to the hall so she could go down the back stairs and out of Peltier House. Once she was out on the streets, she felt better. She liked the open air, liked not being cooped up. She knew Remi and Kara thought it was what was best for her safety, but geez. She couldn't stay inside her whole life; she had no idea how Kara did it for so long.

She kept her music down low so she could keep alert to what was happening around her, and nothing happened, just like she'd predicted. She made it all the way to Jackson Square and got a snack from a cafe, and started her way home. She walked, enjoying the fresh air and took her headphones out so she could enjoy the crowds around her. She was about a third of the way home when a tingle made the hair on the back of her neck rise, and she sighed in her head. Dammit.

~Don't be daimons, don't be daimons, DON'T be daimons...~ She thought to herself in a chant. She'd never hear the end of it, and she'd damn well not be let outside again alone if it were.

Another tingle, and she spotted a pair of blondes come out of the alleyway a block ahead of her, walking casually, but she caught the glance one shot behind them. She felt like throwing a fit. Irritation bloomed into anger, which bloomed into full on and irrational fury. She stopped walking and stared at them, waiting for the sharpness to come, waiting for the enhanced senses that would let her expend her rage on these stupid assholes who were trying to take her freedom. And her life, but MORE importantly, her freedom.

She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Amaranda. She pinned the girl with a sour glare. "What is your problem?" She snapped.

"You're my problem. You're not running." The daimon girl commented as the two daimons that were in front of her before she turned came up behind her. She felt the sharpness coming, but slowly, not in a flash like it had in the past.

"I'm tired of running. Right now I'd just like to kick your ass and be done with this bullshit." The words came out without her consent. It was technically bravado; as Remi had pointed out, she hadn't been training like she should and even when she did she lost almost everytime. But the rage in her veins and the sharpness slowly overtaking her senses wouldn't be told otherwise.

Amaranda raised her eyebrows. "Well, isn't this a surprise. It'll make it so much easier to kill you." She growled, and one of the men behind Sanna grabbed her arm and pulled her into the alleyway, Amaranda right behind her. She barely had enough time to yank her arm from his grasp when a fist struck her across her jaw. She hit the ground and looked back up in time to realize the two men weren't planning on joining in, just Amaranda as she dove back for Sanna. She growled and raised her knees to her chest and caught Amaranda's lunge with her feet and threw her back, scrambling to her feet and facing Amaranda. Suddenly there was a vicious snarl behind her and she groaned out loud. "Dammit Remi!" How did he know? She hadn't even called him! She'd wanted to settle this on her own.

He didn't even have the decency to respond as he focused on the two men now in front of him. Amaranda lunged for her again and she realized she'd have to wait to yell at Remi. Amaranda manifested a sword in her hands and Sanna shrieked. Not fair! So not fair! She skittered back until a sword manifested itself in her own hands.

"Figure it out cher!" Remi yelled in a dark voice that was barely discernable under his growl. She raised her sword to meet Amaranda's, the loud clang of metal on metal echoing in the alleyway, the vibration from the impact shaking up her arms. Amaranda pulled back to strike again, but another sword intercepted her blow and forced her back. Sanna breathed a sigh of relief, assuming that Remi had finished his fight and come to her rescue. She really wasn't ready for swordplay. But as Amaranda backed off and her savior turned to her, it was familiar blue eyes and white blonde hair of Phillip she found herself staring at.

"You ok, Sanna?"

She didn't- couldn't- respond, and he turned back to Amaranda, who was looking equally shocked. "Back off, Am. It's over now."

"But- but I thought you-"

"I know, Im' sorry. It's complicated." He said to his sister, who lowered her sword, and he turned again to Sanna, a few paces behind him, staring at him disbelievingly. "Sanna, I'm so sorr-"

"You stupid BASTARD!" She lunged for him with every intent to rip him limb from limb, but a strong arm around her waist prevented her from reaching her target. The feel of Remi's skin on hers tried to calm her anger, but there was plenty more to replace it. She didn't bother telling Remi to let her go; she was beyond logic now, only a furious, red-tinged rage was left. "I thought you'd died! You made me sit there and fucking WATCH YOU!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. Phillip didn't even try to explain himself, he just watched her rage from Remi's arms with a pained look. "You told me to go so I didn't see the worst! I told you to go daimon, I told you to call your family and all you said was that there wasn't anyone else you trusted to be there!" The rage was fading, and her knees started to buckle as memories from that day broke free of the locked box in her mind she kept them in. Remi's other arm came around her, and she sobbed against his chest.

–

Phillip had explained, of course, what happened to an Apollite on their 27th birthday if they didn't go daimon, but hearing it and seeing it were two very different things. He'd refused to call his family, saying they'd try to make him go daimon, likely through her. He'd begged her to stay with him, and because she loved him- even though she wasn't in love with him, she loved him dearly as her friend and sometimes lover- and because he'd be alone otherwise, she'd stayed.

He was the first person she'd ever seen die, and it'd been more brutal than anything movies or tv could have prepared her for. No knives, no bleeding gunshot wounds, just a slowly decaying body, just the screams of more pain she couldn't see the evidence of, shutting down organs and failing internal systems.

He'd screamed and pleaded with her and the gods to make it stop, to take mercy on him, but no mercy came. Finally, a grizzled, pain laden Phillip had told her to go, that he couldn't bear her seeing the end. She'd been young, and terrified, and she hadn't argued, but kissed his cheek and fled hiding her and her fear away as she called Kara for help...

–

And now here he was, alive and well and daimon. She'd been scarred and heartbroken for nothing. No, not for nothing. For the biggest betrayal he could have served her. She clung to Remi, who's furious growl rumbled deep in his chest.

* * *

Remi didn't care why she was upset- not that it took a rocket scientist to figure it out with all her screaming accusations to the new arrival- all that mattered was that she was upset and he was going to kill what was upsetting her until it wasn't anymore.

The daimon took a step forward, and Remi's arms tightened around Sanna and a feral snarl ripped from his throat. "Don't." He warned through clenched teeth.

The daimon stopped, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I can explain-"

Whatever explanation he'd come up with was cut short as another flash preceded half a dozen other figures appearing in the alleyway with them. Remi put Sanna behind him as he faced off with Stryker, who was looking smug and annoyed all at once.

Phillip looked frightened, and started immediately pleading with the Daimon King. "Sir, please, just a little longer, I-"

Stryker didn't bother to spare a glance at Phillip as he responded. His dark, dead eyes were focused on Sanna, making Remi growl in response. "Shut up. We hadn't counted on this."

Remi felt his grip on Sanna's arm tightening to the point it was probably painful for her, knowing this wasn't a fight he could win. He was badly outnumbered. He had to get Sanna out of here, but as soon as the thought occurred to him Sanna was ripped from his grip and he felt the telltale cold metal of a metriazo collar around his neck, stilling his powers. He'd waited too long assessing the situation. They were as good as dead.

But they weren't attacked, and when they were both shoved to Stryker and he flashed them out of the alleyway, it wasn't a dungeon or cell in Kalosis they ended up in.

Sanna broke for Remi, and Stryker let her get to him. She threw her arms around his waist and held him tightly to her, and he stroked a hand through her hair. She had the bravado down though, as she spoke. "Where are we?"

"Tartarus, little one. I need you to do me a favor."

"Screw you." She spat, faltering a little when he only laughed.

"You WILL do me this favor, or I'll kill the bear you cling to so pathetically. One way or another, you will help me."

Remi snarled at the same time she did, letting out almost as feral one as Remi himself. He held her to him but she was breathing hard, her darkened eyes narrowed on Stryker like she'd like to take a bite out of him, and leave him bleeding on the ground without a jugular. He'd seen that look before, but never in a human. Most recently in Jasyn. Maybe Colt when he was pissed enough. He stroked her hair again, which seemed to calm her a degree, but still she watched Stryker's every move.

Two more women that Remi knew by sight had arrived, with another daimon. "Is she ready?" Zephyra asked. Stryker looked to Sanna, who was still half a second away from feral in Remi's arms. "You tell me."

Zephyra smiled darkly. "Good. Let's get this over with. Has he explained what's going on?" She asked Sanna and Remi.

Sanna seemed unable to even form words, and simply growled at Zephyra. What the fuck was going on with her? Remi held her still as he scowled at Zephyra. "No."

"Well, you're in Hades' realm, and we need you to release a god for us. Then we need you to kill him. In exchange, we're willing to concede all battles, present or future, on Sanctuary and all residents."

Stryker went slack-jawed, like he hadn't been involved in that particular discussion, and Medea smiled at him. "Sorry, dad, forgot to consult you."

Zephyra ignored the both of them. "Well?"

"Who-" she interrupted Remi as he started to speak.

"Not you, Bear. Her." She said, looking straight at Sanna. She seemed to get a hold on herself now that neither she nor Remi were in immediate danger, and frowned. "How do you expect me to kill a god? I'm human."

Zephrya smiled. "Not quite, Kóri Polémou."

Remi's scowl deepened. "Daughter War?" He looked to Sanna, who looked baffled.

Zephrya rolled her eyes. "We'll explain later. We have to move now before Hades realizes we're down here and destroys all of us." She started down a particular way, Stryker at her side, Medea and the other daimon man shoving Remi and Sanna forward. They followed the dark halls until they were at cells. Zephrya opened one, and reached for Sanna. Medea grabbed her arm and yanked her away from Remi. Sanna's fury returned tenfold and she and Medea came to blows as she threw her head into Medea's nose, but Zephrya was quicker, and pulled Sanna into the cell and threw her to the floor. The daimon guy was suddenly behind Remi, a blade to his throat and Sanna raged from inside the cell, practically crawling the walls, shrieking half formed obscenities. He'd never seen her so angry, hadn't known she could GET that angry.

"Touch the statue, Kóri Polémou!" Zephrya called over her rage.


	16. Chapter 16

Sanna stopped her screaming and hopped off the cage bars, looking around her cell. She spotted an extremely large statue in the far corner, and she took a step toward it, pausing to look back at the daimons who held her mate. "You touch him, and the god won't be the only thing I kill tonight." She warned, feeling for once that it wasn't just bravado. Her anger was worse down here, practically unmanageable. Her vision was tinted red, turning everything to blood, and her own blood felt like it was boiling in her vein, but instead of pain, all she felt was rage. It was... disconcerting, to say the least. But in the midst of her rage, she didn't think of it as odd, all she thought of was Zephrya's blood coating her hands, Stryker's on her feet, and the unknown man with the blade to Remi's throat... his she could already taste.

She took another step to the statue. It was a man, a giant man, easily over seven feet tall, as wide as two linebackers, with old style metal plating as armour. She took another, and finally she was close enough to touch him. She reached out and just as her fingertips brushed the chest plate of his armour,

"NO!"

A flash of light threw her against the wall, and she realized a few things at once. There were two more arrivals at the cell door, and the statue was no longer a statue, but a live man who was cracking his neck in a way that looked like it should be breaking it. Black eyes were above perfectly carved cheekbones, and full, sensual lips curved into a deadly facsimile of a smile. "Well. This is a pleasant surprise."

Armour coated her body as well, and the female outside the cell door called to her. "Kóri Polémou, you cannot let him win!"

She looked back at the cell door to ask the woman who she was. Big mistake. A blow so severe she was pretty sure any grandchildren she planned on having would feel it send her flying across the cell to slam into the wall. She slumped to the ground but was surprisingly unharmed. She hurt like hell, but she wasn't dead, and she was already pushing herself up against her brain's decided wish not to. She dodged another attack and ran for the cell door, where Remi, too, was raging now. "Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" She shrieked a plea.

"You have to beat him!" The woman called again.

"Beat him?! Lady, I can't beat a teenage daimon, how am I supposed to beat... THAT?!" She ducked as a chunk of rock was hurtled at her, and it went crashing through the cell door. Suddenly, she, the man attacking her, and the others were somewhere else entirely, and she groaned. A sports field. "Seriously!?" She screamed, still running.

Hades, the male of the two new arrivals- that wasn't hard to figure out- shrugged. "I can't have you two blowing apart Tartarus. Do it under Olympus, that was if he loses, both of you are neutralized."

"Neutralized? What exactly do you people think I am!?" Another boulder was chucked at her, but she got a moment of reprieve as he stretched in a pleased way, like a cat toying with a mouse who knows he'll eat soon, and playtime can be extended.

The woman was the one that answered her. "Kóri Polémou. Daughter War. Created between Thanantos Primordial God of War and Eris Goddess of Chaos. I'm so sorry I failed you, Kóri Polémou. I tried to bind your powers." She shot a venomous look at Stryker and Zephyra, though Zephyra was the only one to flinch at it. "I'm Athena. I'll help you how I can- behind you!"

She instinctively dropped to the floor and rolled to the side, letting Thanantos roar past her. "A weapon would be nice!" She shouted, pushing herself up and darting to the edge of the ring. Athena didn't answer, but Thanantos grinned widely. Shit.

"That's not a bad idea." He manifested an evil looking sword in his right hand. Long, almost as long as she was tall, and jagged, with a blade that waved and twisted in a way that was almost like a corkscrew that's been attempted to be straightened out.

She actually squeaked in terror. This was how she died. Please, gods, let Athena not let them kill Remi. A much less deadly looking sword appeared in her own right hand, and she looked to Athena. "I can't do this!"

"You can. Look inside yourself. That anger, that fury, that's what will help you. If he defeats you, he'll kill us all." Her words were depressingly foreboding, and Sanna groaned. "No pressure or anything!"

She raised her sword, but Thanantos rushed her and she shrieked, diving to the side at the last second. She heard a sigh behind her, then a deep, monotones voice rose up. Hades. "You'll have to fight eventually."

"I'm working on it!"

She took a second to breath, but then she caught sight of Remi. Neither god had bothered to free him from his position beneath the blade, and Stryker looked back at the man, holding a 'one minute' finger to him. That motion sparked an anger even more fervent than the one from the cell. Now, with metal armour and a weapon, she felt even more deadly, and she turned her sights on Thanantos. He stood in her way of destroying Stryker. He alone stood between her and saving her mate, between her and pummeling her enemy until he wasn't recognizable as even a bloodstain on the floor.

She felt that calm, so fast this time, so in tune with her motions that by the time she'd looked at her sword, she was already instinctively raising it to meet the next blow from Thanantos. Her vision sharpened so fast and so suddenly, she felt a headache come on that was instantly gone. Thanantos seemed to sense her mood change, and grinned. "'Bout fuckin' time."

She didn't wait for him to charge her this time, this time she ran at him, and was halfway to him by the time he realized she'd moved. He raised his own sword to meet hers, and her sword shattered against his. His blade sliced through her arm, and she fell to the ground, landing in a crouch. Before she could blink, his hand was around her throat, raising her into the air and slamming her back to the ground with a blow so fierce it dizzied her for more than a few seconds, in which he landed a crippling blow to her runs and sent her rolling across the ring.

Her new senses wanted a weapon, and with that thought, a dagger appeared in her hand, which she threw at him as he approached, quickly followed by a second and third. The cut on her arm was already healing, and she was already able to breath. She felt the strangest sensation inside her chest, and realized her ribs were repairing themselves. Weird. Makes-you-want-to-vomit weird. But no time for vomit. She shoved her self off the ground and rushed him again as he reached for the one dagger that'd managed to embed itself in his face. He struck out with the sword yet again, slicing across her side and her other arm. She cried out but didn't let up, and yanked the dagger out of his cheek to re-stab in his throat. He pulled it out in the same motion as he threw her off him and across the ring. As he took the dagger out, the throat wound closed up, and though she was too far gone to realize it, the watchers knew what was happening.

"He'll keep healing, Athena. You know that as well as I do."

"She has to use his own sword."

"No one can handle his sword but him."

"His blood can."

Their words weaseled their way into her brain, and she rushed Thanantos again, blood still dripping from the already healing wounds on her. He raised the sword to stab her, but she manifested her own blade again and met the blow. It shattered that sword too, but she manifested yet another dagger and cut across his eyes, causing him to drop his sword. He flung her off him, and she slammed into another wall, slumping to the ground. He was roaring in pain and fury as the wound closed, but she still had her eyesight, and she looked to his sword. She didn't have long to look as he grabbed the sword back up and flashed to her side, stabbing the sword through her arm to pin her down. He manifested an equally evil looking dagger, and grinned as he brought it to her face. "I'm going to cut you into tiny little pieces for the trouble you've caused me. Then I'm going to kill everyone watching, starting with that male that's got your scent on him. Seems the fatherly thing to do, go after his little girl's lover, right?" He taunted.

The red washed over her vision once more, blurring her actual vision. It was suddenly like having heat vision goggles, she could see vague shapes, but instead of heat, she could see blood. Everything was a dark, murky maroon, save the veins running through the bodies. Bright red veins, calling out to her. Me, me, pick me... as sweet as a siren's song. She screamed a long wail and kicked up, hitting Thanantos in the crotch, and reached with her good arm to yank his sword out of her arm and stood, blood spilling to the floor with the sweetest of splashes. No longer wanting to vomit, she breathed in the metallic smell of the blood, even knowing it was hers, and she brought her sword arm up to her lips, taking a long swipe of blood from her arm, her eyes never leaving Thanantos, who was looking less cocksure.

His sword grew thinner, less crooked, and the blade thinned out as a matching blade reached out from the back side of the handle. She was suddenly holding the middle of what seemed to be two straight swords, almost stiletto in looks, with the handle merging the two side together in the middle. She glanced at it for only a second, then shrieked a long war cry and rushed Thanantos.

"Don't kill him!"

She couldn't even discern who'd said it, but it reached her. She almost laughed it off, but the tiny part of her brain that was still functioning rationally pointed out the Stryker and Zephrya wanted him dead, which meant she probably wanted him alive. So though she drove him back, she didn't land any killing blows. In a perfect irony, she pinned him to the wall she'd backed him to, one side of her dual stiletto sword embedded in his chest. She didn't know why this wound was causing him more pain, but instinct told her it was because it was his sword. Same reason her wounds hurt even now that they'd closed. It was something about their blood the sword responded to.

Acting purely on instinct- maybe not even instinct, maybe something more primordial than even that- she leaned forward like she'd kiss him, feeling his movements slow under her breath. Her lips a hairsbreadth from his, she breathed in his anger, his rage, even the scent of his blood, and it strengthened her. She ran a finger across his neck, down the curve of it to his shoulder, leaving a smeared trail in the blood staining his skin there, enjoying the slick feel of the blood under her fingers, enjoying knowing she caused it. Finally, he stopped moving, and she realized he'd turned back to stone. She fell back, cracking her own neck, and looked at her blade still in the chest of the stone Thanantos. With a thought, it dematerialized, leaving a fleshy hole in his chest that quickly turned to stone as well before she could pounce on the blood there and rematerialized in her hands. She felt the others behind her, and apparently someone had freed Remi, for his was the first scent to approach her. She couldn't see him, not really, she still had blood-vision, but she was pretty sure he was holding his hands out to her in a gesture of peace, like one would to a pet of theirs that'd suddenly and inexplicably mauled a visiting friend. "Sanna?"

His voice broke the rage, and she cocked her head at him. "Remi?" Holy shit, was that HER voice? No flipping way. Too deep, too raspy, too... evil sounding. She cleared her throat as the dual stiletto sword vanished from her hand. "Remi?" There, that was better. Now she just sounded tired.

With the sword gone, he rushed to her, pulling her against his chest, letting her realize that collar thing wasn't still on him. At his contact, the blood-vision dimmed, and slowly her surroundings came back to her in full technicolor. "Holy shit chere, I'd thought you'd gone rogue on us."

Gods, she loved his voice. Deep and gravelly, hoarse with concern for her. There was still the hint of a snarl in it, and she loved that, too. She closed her eyes. She could listen to his voice all day...

"Kóri Polémou?"

She opened her eyes, annoyed, to see Athena and Hades standing nearby, though Stryker and the others were gone. "What?"

Athena looked awed, but relieved. "I just wanted to insure the bloodlust hadn't taken you." She said with a curious look to Remi. She inspected him for a moment, but then turned her sweet chocolate eyes on Sanna. "I suppose you have a lot of questions."

She shook her head. "Not right now. Right now, I just want to sleep."

"Five minutes."

She sighed, but nodded. "Can Remi come?"

Athena smiled, but there was a hint of secrecy to it. "Of course." She laid a hand on both their shoulders and flashed them to a whiter place without so much as a backwards glance to Hades.


End file.
